The Non-Teaching Staff Union of Polytechnics (NOTSUP) has urged the Federal Government to settle all outstanding entitlements owed to workers before rolling out the recently launched Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF).
In a statement after its emergency congress, the union said while the ₦10 million interest-free loan scheme is a welcome idea, it would be unfair to introduce new welfare initiatives when workers are still being owed arrears accumulated over the years. NOTSUP listed some of the outstanding obligations to include the CONTEDISS 15 migration arrears dating back to 2013, promotion arrears covering 2023 to 2025, salary arrears from the 25 to 35 percent salary review, unpaid balances of the minimum wage consequential adjustments, as well as wage award arrears promised in 2023 as part of government’s palliative measures.
“These obligations represent the sweat and sacrifice of our members. It will be insensitive to inaugurate a new loan scheme while the government continues to delay what workers have already earned,” the union declared.
NOTSUP also faulted the exclusion of monotechnics and colleges of technology from the TISSF, describing it as discriminatory. According to the union, all workers in the tertiary education sector deserve equal treatment and should benefit from the scheme.
The union called on the administration of President Bola Tinubu to clear the arrears as a precondition for the successful rollout of the fund. It warned that failure to do so would further deepen distrust between government and the polytechnic workforce. “The government must realize that welfare is not just about loans, it is about paying what is due when it is due. If these arrears are settled, our members will welcome the TISSF in good faith. Otherwise, it risks being dismissed as another empty gesture,” it said.
The Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund was launched earlier this month as a zero-interest loan facility for academic and non-academic staff of tertiary institutions. Beneficiaries can access up to ₦10 million each, with a one-year moratorium and repayment period spread across five years. Eligibility requires having at least five years left before retirement.
Despite being announced as a milestone for staff welfare, the scheme has already come under fire from several unions. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) recently rejected its inclusion in the scheme and called for its immediate delisting, while NOTSUP has now insisted that the government must first honor its financial commitments to workers before expecting them to embrace TISSF.
