Non-academic union to embark on indefinite strike

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The Chairman of the Union, Mr Akinlawon Fasasi, said that the strike was total, comprehensive and indefinite while declaring the strike to enforce their demands.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Fasasi revealed that the union decided to go on strike after several discussions with the institution's management for its demands had proved futile.

Fasasi said that the union has been requesting for the payments of arrears of the Consolidated Tertiary Institution Salary Structure (CONTISS 15) migration to staff at the lower cadre amongst other things.

The union members carried placards with inscriptions such as “Pay CONTISS 15 migration and arrears to the lower cadre or De-migrate existing beneficiaries; “No to management threat to sack,’’ amongst others.

Fasasi said: “The union reasoned and agreed with the management then that when the Polytechnic funding improves, the case would be re-opened.

“Fortunately, this year Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode increased the subvention to the institution from N153million monthly to N 210 million, so we decided to re-open the case and demand for our pending entitlements.

“Unfortunately, ‎the management rather than paying the workers their dues is saying that the N57million increase on the subvention by the State Government was not for staff welfare."

Fasasi also said that investigations carried out into the Polytechnic's account upon the request of the governing council when the management claimed that there was no funds, showed that the institution Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) had increased.

“The institution is so rich ‎with a sum of over N1.8 billion while the total amount of the migration is just N20 million monthly, as the increment for some the staff on level 1 to 12 is between N3,000 and N20,000, ‘’ he said.

The Chairman also accused the management of squandering the Polytechnic's money on themselves in the form of several allowances, while the junior staff's welfare was abandoned.

Fasasi assured that the strike would be made effective and that the union would ensure that its members comply, as the administrative offices were already locked.

“Our members have also been directed to resume at the Administrative block every morning to continue pressing home their demands even if it takes a year to be implemented.

“The Polytechnic will continually be in a state of unrest until our demands are met since they do not value our peace, they will also not know peace,‘’ he said.

Reacting to the union's declaration, the Head of Public Relations Unit, Mr Olanrewaju Kuye, said that ‎the management was fully aware of the protest as well as the strike.

Kuye commended the Lagos State Government and the Polytechnic's efforts concerning the welfare of the staffs but said that the union could not do without the demonstration.

He went on to add that the Union was demanding of migration but that there is nothing of such but rather, an alignment with staff salary.

According to Kuye, there had indeed been an increase in the Polytechnic's subvention, but the payment being demanded by the union cannot be paid without approval, even if the funds were available.

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Kuye said that the Polytechnic's management met with the government on the issue and have been directed to put their demands in writing which would be incorporated into the 2017 budget.

“This is October and the Rector had told all the unions at a town hall meeting to put their demands in writing .

“These are to be forwarded to the state government as directed, and would be implemented by January in the 2017 budget, ‘’ he said.

He said that the government has been generous enough to include the the payment in the 2017 budget despite the current recession in the country.

Kuye explained that the claim of the arrears which is being owed since 2009 has accumulated over to to N1.7 billion, an amount which cannot be paid in a recession.