Bauchi Tertiary Institutions Suspend Strike Action

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Academic and Non-Academic Staff Unions of Bauchi State-owned tertiary institutions has suspended its indefinite strike action following the intervention of the State House Assembly and other stakeholders in the state.

The JAC chairman, Comrade Abubakar Ahmed, who read the communique at the end of an emergency congress meeting of the Committee held at ASUP Secretariat at the Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic (ATAP) on Thursday, said that the suspension of the industrial action was for a period of only four weeks, starting from January 9 to February 5, 2025, to give room for further engagements with a view to resolving the lingering issues, which led to the strike action.

LEADERSHIP reports that on January 2, 2025, JAC decladed a total, indefinite and comprehensive strike action over refusal of the Bauchi State government to implement the new minimum wage for all workers in its tertiary institutions (CONPCASS and CONTEDISS).

“Following the intervention of the Bauchi State House of Assembly and other distinguished and notable stakeholders/leaders on the ongoing indefinite strike action embarked upon by JAC in its 6-member institutions (Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic; Adamu Tafawa Balewa College of Education Kangere; A.D Rufai College of Education; Legal and General Studies Misau; Aminu Saleh College of Education, Azare; Bauchi State College of Agriculture, Bauchi; Bill and Melinda Gates College of Health Technology, Ningi).

“The JAC Congress resolved to suspend the indefinite strike action embarked upon by its members on 2nd January, 2025,” the chairman said.

JAC gave the conditions for the suspension of the strike that the State Government should show substantial commitment by engaging the leadership of JAC to resolve all issues holistically within the stipulated period and none of its members should be victimised by the Heads of the Institutions or any other organ of government on account of the industrial action.

“Failure of the government to honour the above submission will leave JAC with no option than to take further action,” Engineer Ahmed added.