By Gabriel Dike
Three staff unions in Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, will on Monday, January 18th, 2021 embark on indefinite strike to protest the non-implementation of their demands by the state government and the university management.
At the Joint Action Committee (JAC) meeting of the three staff unions, members were directed to down tools thus academic and administrative activities will be paralysed on Monday.
Also, the industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) will disrupt students exam scheduled to start tomorrow.
In a letter dated January 15 and addressed to the acting Vice Chancellor of LASU, Prof. Oyedamola Oke, copied the Deputy VC, Registrar, Bursar and Librarian, JAC said the decision to embark on the strike was based on the inability of the Lagos State Government and the university management to meet their demands.
JAC said the strike became necessary as a result of the failure of management and state government to accede to its promise on the payment of 2020 end of year bonus.
Another reason for the strike, is the non-payment of arrears of minimum wage and the earned academic allowance.
The unions observed: “The arrears of our minimum wage is from April 2019 to September 2020 while that of earned academic allowance is from 2009/2010 to 2017/2018.
“We have resolved that any failure to pay these entitlements of our members will amount to total shut down of the university. We look forward to your prompt favourable reaction to avert the looming crisis.”
The indefinite strike by the academic and non-academic staff will disrupt the 2019/2020 first semester exam which starts on Monday, January 18th because the aggrieved workers have vowed to shut down the university.
Ahead of the industrial action, the three staff unions have mobilised their members for the shut down of the university which may result in the locking of the two main gates.
Recalled that workers of Lagos State tertiary institutions on September 14, 2020 embarked on strike to protest the failure of the state government to pay the arrears of the minimum wage and other demands.
State government officials met with chairmen of the four state-owned institutions and promised to begin payment by October 2020 with one year arrears.