Polytechnic Ibadan: Ibadan polytechnic workers suspend strike

Ibadan polytechnic workers suspend strike

The non-academic staff union, NASU, and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) branches of Ibadan Polytechnic have suspended a week-old strike action.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the workers commenced an indefinite strike over eight months’ unpaid arrears and the alleged ‘meagre’ subventions by the Oyo State Government.

The chairmen of NASU and SSANIP, Raji Akande and Ajibola Oyetunde respectively, told PREMIUM TIMES that the decision to call off the strike was as a result of the intervention of the institution’s governing council.

“The governing council had a meeting with us last week and they have given us their words,” Mr Oyetunde said.

According to Mr Akande, after the meeting with the council, the congress of NASU members met on Monday.

“Our members have also decided that we should consider the suspension at the congress. Although, some of the resolutions of the governing council do not go down with us,” he said.

Also, in a letter of suspension sent to the governing council to notify them of their decision, obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, NASU stated that “After much deliberations the leadership of the union appealed to the Congress, to allow the management admit students for the 2018/2019 admission, which we believe the process would be done within two months.”

“The union frowned at the letter sent by the governing council and have no trust in it. The council as matter of urgency should go back to the government to request for bail-outs to defray the (8) eight month salary arrears.”

Thereafter, the chairmen of the two unions told their members to resume work on Tuesday and allow peace reign in all their offices.

The state government, through the commissioner for education, Adeniyi Olowofela, stated that the government is not owing the staff as highlighted in the unions’ demands and that the governing council of the school should respond to the workers’ grievances.