STOP SUBTLE SALARY CUT; BAIL-OUT
HAS COME!
A Press Statement by the Council of
Academic Staff Unions of Osun State-
Owned Tertiary Institutions
(CASUOSTI)
5th September, 2015
We observe with utter disappointment
that, rather than seeking an end to the
ongoing industrial crisis in the State-
owned Polytechnics and Colleges of
Education, the Government of the
State of Osun is complicating the
already painful situation by a subtle
pay-cut. The ridiculous and
unexpected pay-cut was first
witnessed for the months of January
& February, 2015 when the amounts
paid as our salaries were less than
what we have on our pay-slips and
the payroll schedule prepared by our
institutions. Specifically, Government
unilaterally, and in flagrant disregard
for the ethics of payroll
administration, pruned off the
financial effects of 2014 promotions
and “migration of lower cadres” from
our salaries.
In our efforts to seek justice amicably,
we consulted the State Government
through the Chief of Staff and the
Head of Service in separate meetings.
At those meetings, Government
admitted our position that the
financial effects of 2014 promotions
and “migration of lower cadres” are
irreversible. We had mutual
understanding that our salaries would
be paid correctly once the then
expected “bail out” funds were
received from the Federal
Government.
Alas! Now that the much expected
“bail out” funds have been received,
the State Government has concluded
plans to sustain the pay-cut contrary
to the principles of fair-play, equity
and the collective agreement between
our Union and the State Government.
For the avoidance of doubt, staff
promotion in tertiary institutions is
earned on stringent conditions of
career advancement and not
‘automatic routine’ nor on the basis of
mere benevolent sentiments. It is due
inadvertently for each staff purely on
merit at regulated intervals and upon
strict evaluation of personnel
performance in terms of fulfillment of
stipulated criteria of assessment. The
practice of “earned promotion” or,
better put, “merit-based career
advancement”, is universal in
academics and mandatory for
accreditation processes. Apart from
these general factors, the 2014
promotion under discussion is
situated within the following context:
1) the promotions have taken
notional effects as it were with effect
from 1st October, 2014; 2) that our
Union tolerates later financial effect
(1st January, 2015) of the promotion
is borne out of patriotic sensitivity to
the financial circumstances of
Government; a breach of the financial
effect is therefore the least expected
reciprocation from Government; 3)
based on notional effect of the
promotion, all affected staff members
have taken further steps in
institutional hierarchy with attendant
additional workload and co-curricular
responsibilities; 4) in preparation for
the promotion and with a view to
meeting the requirements, concerned
members of staff have expended
intellectual and financial resources on
publications, travel for academic
conferences (both local and abroad)
and pursuit of higher degrees at
personal cost; therefore, denial of the
financial effect of the promotion as
agreed and fixed (with effect from 1st
January, 2015) is not only unfair but
tantamount to demoralization and
discouragement towards academic
improvement which is a sine qua non
for sustaining and improving the
standards of our institutions.
On the other hand, the policy of
“migration of lower cadres” cannot be
reversed because it is an equalization
policy following “migration of higher
cadres (i.e. CONTISS 15)” which had
been implemented in Osun State
under the previous administration.
Implementation of the “migration of
lower cadres” had been due since the
year 2009 but agreed upon by
Government and our Union to take
notional effect from 1st August, 2014
and financial effect (without arrears)
as from January, 2015. It is therefore
totally unfair and injurious that
Government could so unilaterally
subtract the meagre financial effect of
this policy from the salaries of the
affected staff members who have
patriotically forfeited enormous
arrears by sensitivity to the financial
circumstances of the State
Government.
While using this medium to commend
President Muhammadu Buhari for his
intervention through the bail-out
funds for payment of salaries by
debtor-States, we call all and sundry
and stakeholders in Osun State
tertiary education sector to join voices
with ours in ensuring that the State
Government does not mutilate our
much expected salaries under any
guise whatsoever.
Signed
Lasisi Jimoh
State Chairman
Olusegun Lana
State Secretary
Dotun Omisore
State PRO

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seun,ishilove,lalasticlala pls let the world know what's going on ..