NASU seeks modification of IPPIS for tertiary institutions’ workers

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has urged the Federal Government to adopt a modified Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) policy in federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. 

The union listed sabbatical, visiting lecturers, and 65 years retirement age among other peculiarities as those that should be taken into consideration.
In a communiqué issued at the end its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja, NASU stated that it was not averse to the implementation of IPPIS as a policy aimed at instilling transparency and accountability in the public institutions.

The communiqué, which was signed by the President, Anthony Ani and General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, insisted that the structures and peculiarities of the establishments be taken into consideration with a view to designing an appropriate template that would accommodate their peculiarities.

It condemned in strong terms the recent unilateral diversion of NASU N8 million dues for the months of July and August 2017 by IPPIS to the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) and requested the immediate refund of the dues.

While lamenting the management of workers’ pensions in the universities, NASU noted that the registration of Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company (NUPEMCO) would help to run their pensions in accordance with its peculiarities.

Though the union noted that the Federal Government has commenced the remittance of the pensions of tertiary institutions’ workers into their Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs), it explained that the late or non-remittance of workers’ pensions contravenes the provisions of the Pensions Reform Act 2004 as amended in 2014.

NASU, however, lauded the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for the steps taken to review the schemes and conditions of service of staff of polytechnics and federal colleges of agriculture, adding that it rejected some recommendations of the committee such as downgrading NASU members, who were already migrated and called on NBTE to amend the affected recommendations as appropriate.

The union said the present N18, 000 minimum wage was no longer in tune with the prevailing economic realities and called on the Federal Government to urgently inaugurate the tripartite committee on minimum wage and mandate it to commence negotiation and come up with acceptable package for legislation and implementation before end of year.

NEC-in-session insisted that there was no better time than now for the Federal Government to positively respond to the demands of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on the upward review of Minimum Wage.