By Palang Paul
Academic activities across seven Plateau State-owned tertiary institutions have been grounded following a warning strike declared by the Joint Union of Plateau State-owned Tertiary Institutions (JUPTI) over unresolved salary issues.
The three-day industrial action, which began this week, affects key institutions including the College of Health Technology, Pankshin; College of Education, Gindiri; College of Nursing Sciences, Vom; College of Health Technology, Zawan; Plateau State Polytechnic, Barkin Ladi; College of Arts, Science and Technology, Kurgwi; and the College of Agriculture, Garkawa.
JUPTI Chairman, Cirfat Yakna, announced the shutdown in Jos, warning that the union may escalate the action into an indefinite strike if the Plateau State Government fails to meet its demands.
Yakna explained that the dispute centers on the government’s refusal to fully implement a proposed salary increase aligned with the Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS) and the Consolidated Polytechnic and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Salary Structure (CONPCASS).
According to him, while the government offered a monthly increment of ₦100 million for workers across the institutions, the union rejected the proposal, describing it as inadequate.
“Our demand is based on a 25 to 35 percent salary increment, which reflects the agreed salary structures. The government itself admitted that implementing 25 to 30 percent would cost over ₦246 million monthly, while full compliance would exceed ₦371 million,” Yakna stated.
He noted that the issue has remained unresolved since January 2023 despite repeated negotiations, letters, and ultimatums issued by the union.
The JUPTI chairman also recalled that the union had previously embarked on a seven-day warning strike in March 2025 but suspended it after three days following government assurances. Another planned strike in March 2026 was also put on hold after appeals from top officials, who cited the governor’s overseas engagement.
However, Yakna expressed disappointment that no concrete action had been taken since then.
“We are taken aback that nothing has been done since the governor returned. This has left us with no choice but to resume industrial action,” he said.
Efforts to obtain official responses from the Secretary to the State Government, Samuel Jatau, and the Head of Service, Stephen Pam Gadong, were unsuccessful, as they could not be reached at the time of filing this report.
The strike has left thousands of students stranded, raising fresh concerns about disruptions to the academic calendar across Plateau State.
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