The Joint Union of Plateau State-owned Tertiary Institutions (JUPTI) has initiated an indefinite strike, signalling a breakdown in negotiations with the state government concerning several long-standing issues that date back to 2024.
The umbrella body for staff unions across the state's higher learning institutions announced that the industrial action would commence at midnight on Monday, asserting that its demands must be met. These demands include adjustments to salaries, the issuance of employment letters, and the formal adoption of the Polytechnic Act within the state.
Sources indicate that discussions between the government and the union have been ongoing since last year. However, a meeting held on Friday failed to resolve the contentious points, leading to the strike declaration.
Confirming the decision to journalists on Saturday, Comrade Yohanna Igyem, the Chairman of JUPTI, stated that the union had previously issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the state government. This ultimatum was formally conveyed in a letter to the Head of Service on Thursday.
According to Igyem, the union has demonstrated significant patience, despite the government's failure to address what he termed as legitimate demands that have already been implemented in other states.
He specifically highlighted several key unresolved issues: the non- implementation of the 25% and 35% salary increments for staff in tertiary institutions, the absence of domestication of the Polytechnic Act, and the failure to release employment letters to staff members at the College of Agriculture, Garkawa, and the College of Arts, Science and Technology (CAST), Kurgwi, among other institutions.
"We issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Head of Service on January 9, 2026, and the government invited the union for a meeting, which did not yield any tangible outcome," Igyem explained.
He further elaborated on the timeline of engagements, stating, "The union subsequently issued a seven-day ultimatum on March 6, 2026. The government again convened a meeting and requested more time to conclude negotiations.
"After about a month, the government scheduled another meeting for April 16, 2026, which was later shifted to April 21, 2026, before being postponed indefinitely without a new date.
"At an emergency meeting held on April 23, 2026, JUPTI issued a 48-hour ultimatum, effective from April 24 to midnight of April 27, 2026, for the government to address all outstanding demands. Failure to do so will leave the union with no option but to embark on an indefinite strike without further notice," he added.
He also referenced a letter dated March 23, 2026, sent to the Head of Service, which outlined the sequence of interactions with the government, none of which have resulted in a satisfactory resolution.
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