By MUSTAPHA YAURI

Staff of Shehu Idris College of Health Sciences and Technology, Makarfi, under the Joint Action Committee, have downed tools in a seven-day warning strike over unpaid salary components.

The union declared the industrial action on Wednesday during a news conference in Makarfi, following the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum issued to the Kaduna State Government regarding their unresolved welfare demands.

Goma Umar-Farouq, the committee chairman, said the strike action became necessary after formal letters, repeated appeals, and reminders to the state government failed to yield positive results for the affected workers.

He noted that a primary demand was the prompt implementation and payment of the outstanding 30 per cent of the approved CONPCASS salary component to all eligible staff of the health institution.

Farouq added that the union was also demanding for the implementation of the Federal Government-approved 25 and 35 per cent wage allowances currently enjoyed by staff of various tertiary institutions across the country.

He urged the state government to exempt academic earned allowances from taxation on the 70 per cent CONPCASS component, which eligible staff have been receiving since October 2025 without full tax reliefs.

The chairman demanded the implementation of approved CONPCASS and CONTEDISS salary structures, alongside the immediate payment of all accrued arrears of the respective entitlements owed to the college workers by the state.

He further called on the state government to issue an official establishment circular formalizing the extension of academic staff retirement age to 65 years or 40 years of service without further delay.

Farouq lamented that despite several formal engagements and reminders, the government has refused to address the workers’ grievances or provide clear explanations for the delay in resolving the lingering operational issues.

He described the warning strike as an ultimate resort, noting that the workers had exhausted all available dialogue channels before deciding to shut down operations across the institution for the next seven days.

According to him, the strike aims to ensure fairness, enhanced staff welfare, and equal pay structure among employees of state-owned tertiary institutions to boost productivity and preserve industrial peace across Kaduna State.

Farouq noted that the action was approved by members after wide consultations, calling on the state government to address all outstanding demands swiftly to prevent an indefinite shutdown of the health college. (NAN)