Oyo tertiary workers issue fresh seven-day ultimatum over unpaid allowances
By Adejayan Gbenga
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of labour unions in Oyo State-owned tertiary institutions has issued a fresh seven-working-day ultimatum to the state government, governing councils and managements of the institutions over outstanding workers’ welfare demands.
The new ultimatum will commence on Thursday, October 29, and expire on Friday, November 6, 2026, following the expiration of an initial 14-day ultimatum on Wednesday, October 28. The committee warned that failure to resolve the issues within the stipulated period could lead to further lawful industrial action.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, JAC Chairman, Dr. Kola Lawal, and Secretary, Comrade Akeem Fatai, identified the immediate implementation and payment of the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) and the Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance (CONTTA) as their foremost demands. The unions are seeking the implementation of the allowances for academic and non-teaching staff, respectively, in line with applicable agreements, effective January 2026.
The committee also demanded the payment of outstanding salary arrears arising from the 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increases covering January to December 2024. It urged the relevant authorities to honour existing agreements and arrangements on the payments, stressing the need for equitable treatment of workers across the state-owned tertiary institutions.
Another major demand is the full implementation of 100 per cent government subvention to the institutions to strengthen their financial capacity, meet recurrent expenditure obligations and reduce excessive dependence on internally generated revenue. The JAC also called for the urgent recruitment of academic, technical, administrative and support staff to address manpower shortages, which it said had increased workloads and put pressure on teaching, research and administrative activities.
The committee described the fresh ultimatum as a final opportunity for the relevant authorities to demonstrate their commitment to resolving the outstanding issues through constructive engagement. However, it cautioned that the extension should not be interpreted as a withdrawal of the demands or an indefinite postponement of possible industrial action.
Consequently, the JAC urged the state government, governing councils and managements of the affected institutions to take decisive steps to address the demands before November 6 to prevent an escalation of industrial tensions. It said resolving the issues would improve staff morale, promote industrial harmony and strengthen the performance and sustainability of tertiary education in the state.
The committee also appealed to its members to remain united, calm and disciplined while awaiting further directives from the JAC and their respective union branches. Reiterating its position on workers’ welfare, it stated, “Staff welfare is not a privilege; it is an essential component of a functional and sustainable tertiary education system.”
