Bauchi Tertiary Institutions’ Joint Action Committee Suspends Indefinite Strike for Four Weeks
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Academic and Non-Academic Staff Unions of Bauchi State-owned tertiary institutions has agreed to suspend its indefinite strike following interventions from the Bauchi State House of Assembly and other key stakeholders in the state.
The JAC Chairman, Comrade Abubakar Ahmed, made the announcement during an emergency congress meeting held at the ASUP Secretariat within the Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic (ATAP) on Thursday. Ahmed stated that the suspension of the strike would be for a four-week period, beginning on January 9, 2025, and running until February 5, 2025. This move aims to create a window for continued engagement in resolving the issues that prompted the strike.
On January 2, 2025, JAC declared an indefinite and comprehensive strike over the Bauchi State government’s refusal to implement the newly approved minimum wage for workers in the state’s tertiary institutions, particularly the CONPCASS and CONTEDISS salary structures.
According to the statement, the strike affected six institutions in Bauchi State, including 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, and the Bill and Melinda Gates College of Health Technology, Ningi.
Following interventions from the Bauchi State House of Assembly and other prominent leaders and stakeholders, the JAC Congress convened and decided to suspend the strike. Comrade Ahmed emphasized that the suspension was temporary and hinged on the government’s willingness to address the issues raised by the unions.
“The JAC Congress resolved to suspend the indefinite strike action embarked upon by its members on January 2, 2025,” Ahmed said, reading the communique at the end of the meeting.
However, the unions have set clear conditions for the suspension of the strike. JAC demanded that the Bauchi State Government show substantial commitment by engaging in dialogue with union leaders to resolve all issues comprehensively within the four-week period. Additionally, the unions insisted that no members should face victimization by the heads of institutions or any government body due to their participation in the strike.
“Failure of the government to honour the above submission will leave JAC with no option but to take further action,” Engineer Ahmed added, signaling that the unions will not hesitate to resume industrial action if their demands are not met.
The suspension of the strike offers a temporary reprieve for students and staff, but the unions have made it clear that they expect concrete steps toward resolving the issues that led to the strike in the first place.
