Oyo Tertiary Workers Give Govt October 28 Deadline, Threaten Strike

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of labour unions in Oyo State-owned tertiary institutions has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the institutions’ governing councils and managements over unpaid allowances, salary arrears, inadequate funding and staff shortages.

The ultimatum, which began on October 8, is expected to expire on October 28, 2026, with the unions warning that failure to resolve the issues could lead to further lawful industrial action.

In a statement dated October 19 and signed by JAC Chairman, Dr Kola Lawal, and Secretary, Comrade Akeem Fatai, the committee said the decision followed a meeting held on October 7 at Michael Adeniyi Koleoso Polytechnic, Saki.

The unions demanded the immediate implementation of the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) for academic staff and the Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance (CONTTA) for non-teaching staff, in line with applicable agreements covering tertiary institutions from January 2026.

They also called for payment of outstanding arrears arising from the 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increases covering January to December 2024.

According to the committee, although the Oyo State Government implemented the salary increases in January 2025, the Federal Government and several other states had paid arrears dating back to January 2024.

The JAC further demanded full implementation of 100 per cent government subvention, arguing that inadequate funding had forced the institutions to rely on internally generated revenue to supplement recurrent expenditure and meet their obligations.

It also called for urgent recruitment of academic, technical, administrative and support staff, warning that manpower shortages had increased workloads and could affect teaching, research, administration and compliance with regulatory requirements.

The committee recalled that some of the unresolved issues contributed to the industrial action embarked upon by workers in February 2025, which was later suspended to allow continued dialogue with the government and relevant authorities.

While reaffirming its commitment to peaceful engagement, the JAC urged the governing councils, managements and the state government to address the demands within the stipulated period.

It warned that failure to reach a satisfactory resolution by October 28 would force the unions to review the situation and consider further lawful industrial relations measures.

The committee said its demands were aimed at improving workers’ welfare, ensuring institutional stability and protecting the quality of tertiary education in Oyo State.