Key Points
- Workers at Shehu Idris College of Health Sciences and Technology, Makarfi, have commenced a seven-day warning strike.
- The Joint Action Committee said the action followed the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum to the Kaduna State Government.
- Workers are demanding outstanding salary components, wage allowances and payment of accrued arrears.
- The union also wants the retirement age of academic staff formally extended to 65 years or 40 years of service.
Main Story
Academic and non-academic activities at Shehu Idris College of Health Sciences and Technology, Makarfi, Kaduna State, have been disrupted after workers embarked on a seven-day warning strike over unpaid salary components and unresolved welfare demands.
The industrial action was declared on Wednesday by the institution’s Joint Action Committee (JAC), following the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum issued to the Kaduna State Government without a satisfactory response.
The committee’s chairman, Goma Umar-Farouq, announced the strike during a news conference in Makarfi, explaining that the decision followed repeated appeals, formal letters and reminders to the state government.
According to him, the workers had exhausted available channels of dialogue before resorting to industrial action to press for their outstanding entitlements.
One of the major demands is the immediate implementation and payment of the outstanding 30 per cent of the approved Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONPCASS) component to all eligible staff.
The committee is also demanding the implementation of the Federal Government-approved 25 and 35 per cent wage allowances, which it says are already being enjoyed by workers in various tertiary institutions across the country.
The Issues
Beyond the outstanding salary components, the workers are seeking improved welfare conditions and equal treatment with employees of other state-owned tertiary institutions.
Umar-Farouq called for academic earned allowances to be exempted from taxation on the 70 per cent CONPCASS component, which eligible employees have reportedly received since October 2025 without full tax relief.
The union is also demanding the implementation of approved CONPCASS and Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure for Non-Teaching Staff (CONTEDISS) arrangements, alongside the immediate payment of accumulated arrears.
Another major concern is the retirement age of academic staff. The committee wants the Kaduna State Government to issue an official establishment circular formalising the extension of their retirement age to 65 years or 40 years of service.
What’s Being Said
Explaining the decision to embark on the strike, Umar-Farouq said the government had failed to address the workers’ complaints despite several engagements and reminders.
He described the industrial action as a last resort, stressing that members had approved it after wide consultations.
The chairman said the strike was intended to promote fairness, improve staff welfare and ensure equal pay structures among employees of state-owned tertiary institutions.
He urged the government to resolve the outstanding issues to prevent further disruption of activities at the college.
What’s Next
The seven-day warning strike is intended to pressure the Kaduna State Government into addressing the workers’ demands.
The committee has called for urgent government intervention, warning that failure to resolve the grievances could lead to further industrial action and a prolonged shutdown of the institution.
Bottom Line
The strike at Shehu Idris College of Health Sciences and Technology reflects growing tensions over workers’ welfare and unpaid entitlements. While the committee says it has exhausted dialogue, the next move rests with the Kaduna State Government. A timely resolution will be crucial to restoring normal activities and preventing a deeper disruption to health education in the state.
