The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) has warned of “industrial disharmony” should the federal and state governments refuse to implement the new minimum wage, pay promotion arrears and adjust the current tax charged its members by the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

Adebajo Ogundipe, the National President of SSANIP, disclosed this in a communique jointly signed with Emmanuel Enendem, the acting General Secretary of the association.

SSANIP issued the communique at the end of a two-day General Executive Council meeting and Special Delegates Conference.

Mr Ogunsipe noted that the council-in-session observed that since the IPPIS took over the payment of members’ salaries in Feb. 2020, the tax regime had increased unbearably with untold hardship on members.

“This singular factor that gave reason for the regressive tax was the erroneous calculation of the tax based on the consolidated salaries rather than the basic salaries.

“We call on IPPIS and other relevant government agencies to expeditiously take appropriate action and calculate taxes of members based on basic salary rather than consolidated salary as it is being currently done,” he said.

The association also called on the government’s relevant agencies to expedite actions on the modalities for quick release of all outstanding promotion arrears, expressing its dismay over the continued non-release of the last minimum wage arrears to workers in the federal polytechnics.

“In view of the above, the council demands that the minimum wage arrears of our members in the federal polytechnics should be released without further delay to avoid industrial disharmony.

“The council observed that many state governments are yet to implement the New Minimum Wage in their respective institutions.

“In the considered opinion of the council, this is long overdue and therefore embarrassing to the state governments concerned,” he explained.

According to SSANIP, some state-owned polytechnics have yet to implement the 65-year retirement age. It, therefore, demanded that the polytechnics concerned should do so “without further delay in the interest of industrial harmony.”

“The council-in-session also noticed that some state-owned polytechnics are not faithful toward the release of deducted union dues,” noted the communique.

It added, “In the considered opinion of the council that this is a deliberate attempt to illegally stifle the union and ground its activities to a halt.

“The council-in-session hereby admonishes the states and the institutions concerned to stop this unfortunate act and release the accrued backlogs without further delay.

“Management of such affected institutions should not lose sight of the inalienable fact that the union due is a part of members’ salaries sacrificed for their welfare.”

(NAN)