Plateau Tertiary Institutions Union Threatens Strike Over Unmet Demands

Plateau Tertiary Institutions Union Threatens Strike Over Unmet Demands

The Joint Union of Plateau State-owned Tertiary Institutions (JUPTI) has issued a warning of an impending indefinite strike set to commence on Monday if the state government does not fulfill their requests for salary increases and other concerns.

This warning came after negotiations between the government and the union reached an impasse on Friday, following a previous 48-hour ultimatum that was communicated to the government through a letter to the Head of Service on Thursday.

Efforts to resolve the matter led to a meeting on Friday between the two parties, which ultimately “ended in deadlock”.

In a statement to the press on Saturday, JUPTI Chairman, Comrade Yohanna Igyem, asserted that they would proceed with the strike, emphasizing their patience with the government regarding their essential demands that have not been addressed.

“The issues in contention have persisted since 2024 without any successful resolutions. The primary concerns include the non-implementation of 25% and 35% salary increases for staff at tertiary institutions, the failure to domesticate the Polytechnic Act of 2029, and the non-issuance of employment letters at the College of Agriculture Garkawa and the College of Arts Sciences and Technology (CAST) Kurgwi, among other matters.

“We provided a 14-day ultimatum to the Head of Service on January 9, 2026, after which the government called the union for a meeting that yielded no positive outcomes.

“The union subsequently issued a 7-day ultimatum to the government on March 6, 2026, and the government again invited the union for a meeting, requesting an extension of time to finalize negotiations with the Union.”

“After a month, the government invited the union for a meeting originally scheduled for Thursday, April 16, 2026, which was later postponed to April 21, 2026, and then unexpectedly delayed indefinitely without a new date.

“During an emergency meeting held on Thursday, April 23, 2026, JUPTI issued a 48-hour ultimatum effective from Friday, April 24, 2026, to Monday, April 27, 2026, at midnight, to address all outstanding demands of the Union. Should the government fail to comply, the Union will be left with no choice but to proceed with the strike.