Kaduna Tertiary Workers Threaten Fresh Strike Over Unpaid Allowances

Workers in tertiary institutions owned by the Kaduna State Government have threatened to embark on an indefinite strike if the state 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 government failed to meet its demands.

Addressing a press conference in Kaduna on Monday, JUTIKS Chairman, Comrade Usman Shehu Suleiman, said the union was demanding payment of the outstanding 30 per cent CONPCASS/CONTEDISS salary and implementation of the previously approved 25 and 35 per cent wage allowances.

He said the union was also demanding an establishment circular to formalise the 65-year retirement age or 40 years of service for non-teaching staff.

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 the wage and tool allowances from January 2026.

Suleiman explained that the outstanding 30 per cent CONPCASS/CONTEDISS salary followed the state government’s approval of the conversion of workers’ salaries from CONTISS to CONPCASS, with 70 per cent initially implemented.

He said the governor had promised that the remaining 30 per cent would be implemented in the first quarter of 2026, but the commitment was yet to be fulfilled.

He explained that the demands also arose from agreements reached between the national leadership of the affiliate unions and the Federal Government, including provisions for academic and non-teaching staff allowances.

The chairman said the state government had begun implementing some of the provisions, including payment of CATA, following the governor’s intervention, but other outstanding commitments remained unresolved.

On the retirement age for non-teaching staff, he said although the governor had made a pronouncement on the matter since last year, the government had yet to issue an establishment circular to formally document and guide its implementation.

He also faulted the deduction of tax from Academic Earned Allowance, arguing that the allowance should not be subjected to taxation.

Suleiman said some other state-owned polytechnics and universities had already paid eight months’ arrears of the relevant allowances following the federal government’s intervention.

He said the four institutions covered by JUTIKS included Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria; College of Arts and Science, Zaria; School of Nursing, Kaduna; and College of Education, Gidan Waya, adding that more than 5,000 workers were affected.

The union chairman said JUTIKS had written to the state government on September 9 and September 30, 2026, appealing for the implementation of the outstanding agreements, but received no response.

He said the joint congresses of the affiliate unions subsequently mandated the leadership to issue the ultimatum, adding that the unions had followed the procedures required under labour laws to avoid victimisation of their members.

The union, however, said it remained open to constructive dialogue with the state government to resolve the dispute and maintain industrial harmony.

The press conference statement was jointly signed by JUTIKS Chairman, Comrade Usman Shehu Suleiman; Secretary, Comrade Sha’aibu Dauda Adamu; Chairman, COEASU, Gidan Waya, Comrade Dr Nuhu Christopher Yerima; Chairman, NASU, NBPZ, Comrade Mohammed Aliyu Kwarbai; Chairman, SSUCOEN, Gidan Waya, Comrade Simon Dogo Jatau; Chairman, ASUP, SICHST, Makarfi, Comrade Goma Umar Farouq; Chairman, SSANIP, NBPZ, Comrade Abubakar S. Aliyu; Chairman, ASUP, KSCONS, Comrade James Num; and General Secretary, ASUP, NBPZ, Comrade Abubakar Sadiq Yusuf.

Others are Chairman, NASU, SICHST, Makarfi, Comrade Abubakar Abdullahi; Chairman, NASU, Gidan Waya, Comrade Ishaku Istifanus Amo; Secretary, COEASU, Gidan Waya, Comrade Victor Yunana Bowman; Secretary, NASU, NBPZ, Comrade Yakubu Danbaba; Secretary, SSUCOEN, Gidan Waya, Comrade Kefas Ajege; Secretary, SSANIP, NBPZ, Comrade Ja’afar Musa Mohammed; Secretary, ASUP, KSCONS, Comrade James Gibek Jude; Secretary, NASU, SICHST, Makarfi, Comrade Maharazu Dahiru; and Secretary, NASU, Gidan Waya, Comrade Solomon Yusuf.