UNIOSUN Workers Begin Strike Over Allowances

Workers of the Osun State University have commenced an indefinite strike over alleged non-payment of their allowances and other entitlements.

Before the strike, the workers ordered a three-day fasting and prayer session to seek the face of God in their agitation.

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The workers under the umbrella body of the Joint Action Congress (JAC), comprising Senior Staff Association of Nigeria University (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union and Educational Institutions (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), also staged a peaceful protest at the Osogbo campus to drive home their demands.

Addressing the three unions at a congress held at the Osogbo campus after the protest, NASU chairman, Isaiah Fayemi, disclosed that the management met with the state government on behalf of the workers but their efforts hit a brick wall. He described as insensitivity the attitude of the state government to their demands.

“UNIOSUN is the only institution in the whole Southwest that is not enjoying the hazard allowance. Even LAUTECH that is co-owned by Osun and Oyo state governments is being faithful to this hazard allowance. To this end, the institution’s council chairman has said that a committee should be set up consisting the Vice-Chancellor, the paramount ruler of Ile-Ife and some other principal officers of the institution in order to mediate with the governor”, Fayemi stated.

However, the management of the university has declared as illegal the strike embarked upon by the institution’s non-academic staff unions.

A statement issued and signed by the registrar of the institution, Dr. Julius Faniran, said the action of the unions to embark on strike was illegal, adding options of negotiation were not explored.

According to him, “the strike action has political implications/undertone and adequate notice, in line with the labour law, was not given before the strike was declared.’

The university, therefore, warned that it would enforce “no work, no pay rule on the staff, adding “any staff who refuses to report at his or her duty post would be dealt with The unions had given the management a 21-working day ultimatum and another seven-day ultimatum that did not yield positive result.

The communique issued and signed by the chairmen of SSANU, Kadiri Adiat, NASU, Isaiah Fayemi, and NAAT, Adeleke Ismaheel, noted that payment of the hazard allowances, overtime allowance and stoppage of special allowances for some selected staff must be implemented before they would call off the strike.

The communique added: “The university should henceforth stop the implementation of the new killing tax regime and reverse to the old tax as obtained in other universities”.