Workers of Umaru Musa University Begin Indefinite Strike
All workers of Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina on Monday proceeded on an indefinite strike over welfare issues, interference into activities of the state-owned institution, and poor funding.
The workers had in early October issued a three-week ultimatum to the government to address the union’s pressing concerns or they will proceed on strike.
The strike has halted academic and non-academic activities, and may affect the scheduled semester examinations commencing on November 17.
The issues in contention have lingered for over two years with the state government “playing games with the future of this university,” according to the unions.
The issues include a new Salary Structure for all workers in line with the new national minimum wage, deduction of 10 months pension contributions without giving workers the right to choose pension administrators as required by law.
The workers are also against underfunding of the State Contributory Healthcare Scheme (KACHIMA), with health providers reportedly receiving only ₦400 per head to cater for patients.
The unions are also protesting the handing over of sensitive university operations, including information management, to a little-known private company, in breach of the institution’s autonomy guaranteed by the University Miscellaneous Act of 2003.
“We have an ICT Directorate capable of handling these services. Outsourcing to an inexperienced company is both dangerous and unnecessary,” they insisted.
