Kaduna tertiary workers threaten strike over allowances

Workers in tertiary institutions owned by the Kaduna State Government, represented by the Joint Union of Tertiary Institutions of Kaduna State (JUTIKS), have issued a 15-day ultimatum to the government to address their outstanding welfare demands or face an indefinite strike. The ultimatum was announced on October 27.

Comrade Usman Shehu Suleiman, the union’s chairman, stated that the workers are demanding the payment of a 30 per cent outstanding CONPCASS/CONTEDISS salary, implementation of approved wage allowances, and formalization of a 65-year retirement age for non-teaching staff. Other demands include tax exemption on Academic Earned Allowance and payment of outstanding arrears from January 2026.

Suleiman noted that the governor had previously promised to fulfill these commitments but has not done so. The union has communicated with the state government on multiple occasions without receiving a response.

More than 5,000 workers are affected, and the union remains open to dialogue.