LAUTECH begins two-week warning strike

Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology on Wednesday commenced a fresh two-weeks warning strike due to poor funding of the University by the owner states government.

LAUTECH is jointly owned by the Osun and Oyo states government.

The Union in a statement issued after its congress and jointly signed by its chairman, Biodun Olaniran and the secretary, Toyin Abegunrin said LAUTECH chapter of the union has gotten approval to embark on the said warning strike from the national body of the union.

It said despite the Memorandum of Action (MoA) signed with the union and the Governing Council (GC) of the University after its eight months old strike last year, government of the two states reneged on fulfilling their own part of the deal.

According to the statement, the two states only paid one out of the eleven months salary arrears owed the workers.

The statement reads: “On 13th February, 2018, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) LAUTECH Branch Ogbomoso signed a Memorandum of Action (MoA) with the Governing Council (GC) of the University.

“The signing of MoA led to the suspension of the 8 months old strike on the 17th February 2018. One of the fundamental clauses of the agreement is the promise of the GC that “it will ensure that the governments (of Oyo and Osun states) will be made to be responsive to their legitimate responsibilities (funding inclusive) to the University.”

“The GC also promised to work out the modality of paying salary arrears, promotion arrears, earned academic allowances (EAA) as well as paying monthly salaries as and when due. Out of eleven months salary arrears owed, only one month had been paid.

“The payment of monthly salary had become dwindling since May and nothing had been paid on promotion arrears and EAA. The Union observed these reneges of the MoA on the part of the GC and the University administration and several correspondences were made to the duo of the University administration and GC to call their attention to the implications of reneging on the MoA.