The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) on Sunday condemned the recommendation of the Briggs Committee set up by the federal government to propose the salary increment for varsity workers.
In the press statement issued by SSANU chairman, Benue State University chapter, Comrade Luper Shishi kicked against the proposed 10 per cent increment in salary to non-teaching staff as against 180 per cent increment for academic staff.
In the statement made available to newsmen in Makurdi on Sunday and titled, “The ills of Government and the Treachery of Briggs Committee; A Fraudulent transaction that will create crisis in the University System if allowed to go on” Shishi faulted the composition of Briggs Committee, saying that some of its members had a natal relationship to one of the unions in the University system.
SSANU, BSU chapter queried reasons for the Committee to have allocated percentage salary increase without any discussion whatsoever with the Union they were to negotiate the increment with.
Shishi further asked if the committee was convinced that it followed proper Collective Bargaining processes in making the recommended allocation to the Federal Government.
He further asked, “What parameters did the Committee use in arriving at the 10% increase for SSANU members? Did the Union’s draft proposal contain a 10% Salary increase? And who authorised that diabolic 10% increase?
The union, however, called on the federal government to set up a neutral committee that will have a retired Supreme Court Justice or highly respected Technocrat in the mould of Deacon Gamaliel Onosode who handled the 2009 negotiations as Chairperson and bring on board all stakeholders to have a fair deal for everyone in the system.
Parts of the statement further read, “The Government is called upon to select men of character and avoid the mistake of making some group of workers judges in their own cases.
“The Briggs Committee should be disbanded immediately on moral grounds for its clear bias and sympathy to a Union they belong.”
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