Workers in tertiary institutions owned by the Kaduna State Government have threatened to embark on an indefinite strike if the government fails to address their outstanding welfare demands within 15 days.
The Joint Union of Tertiary Institutions of Kaduna State (JUTIKS) said the ultimatum, issued on October 27, would be followed by industrial action if the demands were not met.
Addressing a press conference in Kaduna on Monday, the union's chairman, Comrade Usman Shehu Suleiman, said the workers were demanding payment of the outstanding 30 per cent CONPCASS/CONTEDISS salary and implementation of the approved 25 and 35 per cent wage allowances.
They are also demanding an establishment circular to formalise the 65-year retirement age or 40 years of service for non-teaching staff.
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Other demands include exemption of Academic Earned Allowance (AEA) and other allowances from taxation, implementation of the Consolidated Academic Tool Allowance (CATA) and Consolidated Non-Teaching Tool Allowance (CONTTA), as well as payment of outstanding arrears of wage and tool allowances from January 2026.
Suleiman said the outstanding 30 per cent salary followed the government's approval to convert workers' salaries from CONTISS to CONPCASS, with 70 per cent initially implemented.
He said the governor had promised to implement the remaining 30 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, but the commitment had yet to be fulfilled.
He added that the demands were also based on agreements reached between the national leadership of the unions and the Federal Government on allowances for academic and non-teaching staff.
The chairman said the state government had started implementing some of the agreements, including payment of CATA, following the governor's intervention, but several issues remained unresolved.
On the retirement age for non-teaching staff, he said although the governor had announced the policy last year, the government had yet to issue an establishment circular to formalise its implementation.
He also faulted the deduction of tax from Academic Earned Allowance, insisting that the allowance should be exempted.
Suleiman said some state-owned polytechnics and universities elsewhere had paid eight months' arrears of the relevant allowances following the Federal Government's intervention.
He listed the four institutions covered by the union as Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria; College of Arts and Science, Zaria; School of Nursing, Kaduna; and College of Education, Gidan Waya.
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He said more than 5,000 workers were affected by the dispute.
The union said it had written to the state government on September 9 and 30, 2026, seeking the implementation of the outstanding agreements, but received no response.
Suleiman said the joint congresses of the affiliate unions subsequently directed the leadership to issue the ultimatum. He added that the unions had followed the procedures required by labour laws.
The union, however, said it remained open to dialogue with the government to resolve the dispute and prevent a breakdown of industrial harmony.
