Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics and the Non-Academic Staff Union following an alleged plan of the unions to embark on industrial action over unpaid salaries.
It was gathered that the school owed members of the unions 13-month salary arrears.
During the protest, members of the two unions gathered at the main entrance of the institution, singing solidarity songs and carrying placards with various inscriptions, including, ‘Pay our 13 months’ salaries’, ‘Akeredolu, come to our aide’, ‘Ogundahunsi must go’, ‘Our members are suffering and dying’, among others.
The leader of the protesters and Chairman of the SSANIP of the institution, Mr Chris Olowolade, said the workers had no alternative to a strike.
He said, “We have written to the council and the government to no avail; we are not fighting anybody, but they should pay our salaries.
“The management’s proscription of ASUP, SSANIP, and NASU is illegal. They owe us 13 months’ salaries. They did not pay these salaries and they are not making any effort to pay them. Because of that, we resumed the suspended strike yesterday (Tuesday). Immediately we sent our communiqué to them, they issued a letter that unions on campus had been suspended. This is nonsensical.
The government used to give us subvention, which is added to our IGR by the management. But over three years, they said the IGR is dwindling and till today, they don’t have a solution to make sure that the IGR is increased.
“Also, the management decided to demote staff members without any offence and they promoted their allies. They also recruited their families through the backdoor; no advertisement, no interview. Their actions were challenged in court. There is a judgement to that effect, but they didn’t obey the court judgement.”
The Rector of the polytechnic, Mr Gani Ogundahunsi, said the matter would soon be resolved.
“The polytechnic has a history of a backlog of salaries before the present administration came on board, with a series of interventions which brought peace and unequalled development to the school,” Ogundahunsi stated.
The rector said the economic situation of the country was also affecting the finances of the institution.
He appealed to the workers to show more understanding as the state government had begun the process of paying them
