The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Lagos State University, LASU, chapter, has declared an indefinite strike over alleged state government’s failure to implement the federal government-approved salary increment of 25 and 35 per cent for its members since January 2023.
This was contained in a statement jointly signed by the union’s Chairperson, Prof Ibrahim Bakare, and Secretary, Sylvester Idowu.
The union said the strike followed the refusal of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration to implement the increase, noting that the increment has been implemented in all the federal universities and 18 state universities.
According to ASUU-LASU, the declaration of the strike was in conformity with the decision of the Joint Action Committee, JAC, of all the staff unions in the university, adding that a letter has been sent to the Vice Chancellor, Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello and governor Sanwo-Olu.
DAILY POST reports that JAC comprises ASUU, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT.
The union is also calling on the Lagos State Government to harmonise its members’ salary scale with that of the Lagos State University of Science and Technology, LASUSTECH, and the Lagos State University of Education, LASUED, which it said, earn better than their counterparts in LASU.
It explained that the government has failed to implement the recommendation of a committee set up by the government on the harmonisation of salaries.
The unions also dismissed claims by the institution’s student leaders that only ASUU is embarking on strike, insisting that the action is total and involved other unions.
“We are aware that the state government and the university management are making frantic efforts to resolve the unfortunate development but until then, the strike will go on.
“We wish to remind them that students have no stake in the matter or possess any right to meddle into welfare issues involving staff members of the university and the government, and as such they should not allow themselves to be used in a matter that does not directly concern them,” the statement said.
