Education: JAC Tackles Oyo Govt, Says “Platinum Consultants Is An Aberration to Tertiary Institutions’ Edict”

……..as the body urges Government to defray 11-month arrears and take absolute responsibility for staff salaries among others.

The Joint Action Committee of Trade Unions (ASUP, COEASU, SSANIP AND SSUCOEN) in EACOED, Oyo, TOPS, Saki, AOP, Eruwa, COE Lanlate and OYSCATECH, Igboora has given the Oyo State Government a 7-day ultimatum to scrap the operations of the Platinum Consultants or face industrial action. The body made this position at its meeting held on Thursday, February 11, 2021 at the Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki.

According to a release signed by the JAC Chairman, Comrade Olusegun Oyewumi, “JAC restates its position that the operations of the consultant as an authorization body for all spending is not only a serious aberration but also giving the Institutions unnecessary bottlenecks. The operations of Platinum in approving all payment are not supported by any existing edict. The operations of Platinum are no longer tolerable hence Platinum should be immediately scrapped. The body had already given ultimatum on the issues of minimum wage and Platinum. While the government addressed the issue of minimum wage, that of platinum remains unresolved. JAC hereby issues a seven (7) days ultimatum to the Government commencing from Monday 15th of February, 2021 to cease the operation of Platinum Consultants failing which JAC may no longer guarantee industrial harmony in all the institutions”.

The body among other issues lauded the Government for implementing the approved new minimum wage in line with the Government/JAC agreement of January 13, 2021.

Below is the full text of the JAC Communique:

Preamble

JAC in her characteristic manner met to review sundry issues across the institutions with aim of charting ways forward on common ground on general issues to all the institutions and other issues peculiar to some of the institutions. The body acknowledges and commended the government on the commencement of the implementation of consequential adjustments of the new minimum wage, on the salary of workers in the Tertiary Institutions sector, in line with the Government/JAC agreement of January 13, 2021. The effort of government at paying the arrears of December minimum wage differential with January salary as agreed was also well appreciated.

After exhaustive deliberations, the body arrived at the following specific decisions:

Resolutions;

GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE ABSOLUTELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SALARIES OF WORKERS IN THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS SECTOR: In as much as the Government is wholly responsible for the implementation of the new minimum wage structure in every other sector such as health, justice and ministries, the same Government should be responsible 100% for the wages of workers in Tertiary Institutions. JAC rejected any form of salary augmentation in these institutions as this could lead us back to the dark era of past administration in which salary augmentation has brought untold hardship to the staffers of all tertiary institutions in the state.

DEFRAYMENT OF ACCRUED ELEVEN (11) MONTHLY ARREARS OF MINIMUM WAGE: In line with the content of the signed agreement on minimum wage that the accrued January – November 2020 minimum wage arrears would be paid in not more than three (3) installments, JAC hereby demands that the Government should state in clear terms like it did for core civil service,the specific months to defray the arrears. We urge the Government to make known to us, her plans for defraying the arrears within the next seven (7) days.

TOTAL REJECTION OF THE CONTINUAL OPERATIONS OF THE PLATINUM CONSULTANTS: For the umpteenth time, JAC reinstates its position that the operations of the consultant as an authorization body for all spending is not only a serious aberration but also giving the Institutions unnecessary bottlenecks. The operations of Platinum in approving all payment are not supported by any existing edict. The operations of Platinum are no longer tolerable hence Platinum should be immediately scrapped. The body had already given ultimatum on the issues of minimum wage and Platinum. While the government addressed the issue of minimum wage, that of platinum remains unresolved. JAC hereby issues a seven (7) days ultimatum to the Government commencing from Monday 15th of February, 2021 to cease the operation of Platinum Consultants failing which JAC may no longer guarantee industrial harmony in all the institutions.

ACCREDITATION EXERCISES AND INFRASTRUCTURE DECAY IN INSTITUTIONS: JAC hereby urged the Government to pay urgent attention to improving decaying infrastructure across the institutions especially College of Education, Lanlate whose linking bridge to Site B is almost collapsed. JAC urges the Government to immediately provide requisite funds for concerned institutions to prosecute their long overdue accreditation exercises. The concerned institutions are The OkeOgun Polytechnic, Saki, Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora and Oyo State College of Education, Lanlate. There is also need for completion of accreditation in Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa.

TAX WAIVER: JAC noted that the killing impact of the current tax on members across tertiary institutions in the state. While the body is aware of the existing tax rate which its 100% implementation is eroding away all gains of the implementation of the consequential adjustment on new minimum wage. Since tax is legally negotiable JAC hereby appeals to government to grant workers in the sector a 40% tax waiver or concession to ameliorate the present economic hardship on our members.

OYO STATE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION LANLATE: JAC appreciates the gesture of government in acceding to our demand by setting up an independent panel to review the unjustifiable suspension of COEASU Chairman (Mr Kolawole, S. K.) and Mr. Adeyemi, B. A. We hereby demand the panel should consist of at least a representative of each of the union that the affected staff belongs. We will equally resist any form of interference or inducement to pervert justice from any quarters.

Conclusion

It is obvious that each of the afore points are not only crucial to the improvement of the Tertiary education sector, they are capable of usurping the prevailing industrial peace being enjoyed in the institutions, hence we urge the Government to promptly address them.

Signed
OYEWUMI S. Olusegun.
Chairman
08062326801.”