Prof. Julius Iyasele, the University of Benin Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), says a return to the salary structure and scale operated in the colonial era will prevent incessant strikes by Nigerian workers.
Iyasele expressed the view in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin, on Sunday.
He said differences in salaries among various categories of workers in the same sector was through steps in the structure unlike the current situation in which different groups had different salary structures in the same sector.
He noted that disparity in salary structure among workers in the same sector placed more importance on certain workers over others, whereas every graduate worker paid school fees through school.
Iyasele said that the structure obtainable during the colonial era ensured harmony among workers and stressed that there should be justice in the salary structure for all workers.
He also said government constantly reneging on agreements with unions during agitations was also not helping matters.
The unionist warned that ASUU might soon start an industrial action very soon as government had again reneged on agreements reached before the suspension of the union’s strike in August, 2017.
He noted that no union could trust government any longer as the government was in the habit of not keeping to agreements on bargains with workers.
Iyasele said that major components of the agitations by ASUU last year was the Treasury Single Account, University in Nigeria Pension Company and Earned Academic Allowance.
He said in spite of promises by the government to implement the agreements within two weeks of suspension of the strike, nothing had been done and the union members were already asking questions.
Iyasele explained that in Edo, the major problem confronting ASUU members was the issue of tax as the teachers paid between N60,000 and N70,000 monthly as tax to the state government.
On the on-going strike by the Joint Health Sector Union members, Iyasele said that all unions were set up to promote the welfare of their members.
He noted that no union should criticise another as unionism entailed solidarity. (NAN)
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