Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Lagos State University (LASU) chapter Begins Indefinite Strike
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Lagos State University (LASU) chapter yesterday began an indefinite strike to protest the non implementation of their demands by the university management and the governing council.
The decision to embark on the action was taken at a congress which authorised the executive to call out members from the lecture halls.
The decision was also approved by the national body at its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held last week at University of Ibadan.
Spokesperson for the university, Mr. Kayode Sutton, told newsmen that officially, the university authorities have not been communicated on the strike declaration by ASUU-LASU as the time of filing this report.
Chairman of ASUU LASU, Dr. Adekunle Idris, said the union “is at a loss as to why the authorities refused to address these issues in contention for over one year.
‘’in the absence of any concrete progress in the resolution of the core demands, the NEC at its meeting authorised the branch to embark on a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike to actualise the resolution of the core demands of the branch.
‘’We are using this opportunity to inform the academic community and the people of Lagos state that as from today, Tuesday, May 20, 2014, we the academic staff members of LASU are withdrawing our services to embark on a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike until the three core demands of our union are completely met.
‘’It is a sad decision we are compelled to take and have taken it with every sense of responsibility. We are well prepared for the usual phases of engagement with authorities in Nigeria-denial, blackmail and finally return to the altar of truth’’.
He said though the demands of the union are numerous, the three core demands to the resolution of the face-off are reversal of the high school fees regime, repeal of the ‘no vacancy, no promotion’ policy of the administration and the implementation of the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Amendment, Act.
He revealed that the union declared a trade dispute with the initial 21-day ultimatum from March 24, 2014, which expired on Sunday, April 13, another 14-day ultimatum given in line with labour which equalled expired on April 29, nothing that there was no response from the governing council or from the state government during these periods.
‘’A seven-day ultimatum was given effective, May 2, 2014. The union was invited four days into this round of ultimatum on May 6. This was the first response from the governing council after 12 letters’’, Dr. Idris stated.
On the contentious school fee regime, the ASUU chairman said with the increment, LASU is currently the most expensive public university in Nigeria and the development has made the institution unattractive to applicants.
‘’With fees ranging between N350,000 (Medicine), N250,000 (Management, Science/Arts) to N197,000 (Education), It has placed education beyond the reach of the average Lagosians and Nigerians in general. All these in a country where the minimum wage is N18,000 per month’’. (The Sun)