Pay our allowances, angry FUTA workers block VC’s office

Some workers of the Federal University of Technology Akure, Ondo State, on Thursday, staged a protest on the campus of the institution against the alleged failure of the management to pay their allowances.

The workers, under the auspices of the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities, FUTA branch, alleged that the institution had paid the allowances to members of staff who belonged to other associations on the campus but left them out.

The angry workers, who were chanting various solidarity songs, marched to the office of the Vice-Chancellor to express their grievance, vowing to cause unrest in the university until their demand was met.

Speaking during the protest, the union’s Chairman, Adebayo Aladerotohun, said the allowances- the Consolidated Tools Tertiary Institutions Allowance and End Allowances- had been approved by the Federal Government, but the institution allegedly failed to pay members of his association.

He said, “A very unfortunate issue occurred in FUTA yesterday. A very unfortunate issue that has set a very bad precedent occurred on this campus yesterday, Wednesday, that is removing our names from the payroll in the payment of CONTA and END allowances duly approved for the system by the federal government.

” We just realised that yesterday, they paid and they refused to pay us. So we understand that the university implements government circulars, but they implemented it wrongly. And two, the university is in support of a particular union.

“Yes. We have letters of appointment. Our letters of appointment say that you will be entitled to the approved government allowances. Anytime the government is approving anything for the system, we are entitled. The dictates in our letters of appointment supersede whatever is done under any collective agreement when it comes to implementation.  So the management got it wrong by violating our instruments of appointment. ”

The chairman threatened to take legal action if the management of the institution failed to respond to their demand within seven days.

“We are going to give them a seven-day ultimatum from today, pending which we take legal action against the management,” Aladerotohun declared.

Addressing the protesters, the VC of the institution, Prof. Taiwo Amos, called on the workers to be calm, promising that the matter would be resolved amicably.

The don said, “It is the right of individuals to form unions and the management is not averse to that. The management will not, at any time, deny anybody what is his or her entitlement. I want that to be put down. The management is looking at the case on the ground, and we are discussing it at the highest level. The management has also resolved to meet with the executive (of the association) again.

“I want to plead with us that we should just give us some moments. We are better off if we sit down to talk. We cannot achieve anything if we are quarrelling.  We can see what is happening in sister institutions where there are crises. Where there are crises, there can never be progress. And we are appealing that we should be calm. Immediately, we are able to resolve this. I can bet you it is going to be in your favour.

“Nobody will shortchange anybody because we know that we are all working together for the progress of FUTA,” as he pleaded with the workers to “exercise some moments and give us time to interact with the executive.”