Non-academic staff warning strike gains ground in LASU

The warning strike by non-academic staff of universities on Tuesday gained more ground at the Lagos State University (LASU), as the workers fully complied with the strike directive.

It was reported that the five-day nationwide strike began on Monday.

Mr Saheed Oseni, Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), LASU Chapter, said that non-teaching activities had been paralysed in the institution since on Monday.

“We have fully complied with the directive of our national body and have embarked on a comprehensive strike to drive home the demand of our union.

“All our members are not on duty and all offices have been shut, except for the lecture theatre to enable students to write their examinations,” he said.

Oseni advised government to use the strike period to invite the leadership of the striking unions to a roundtable toward resolving all pending issues and meeting the unions’ demands.

He said that meeting the demands was key to preventing education sector from going into comatose.

Mr Sanni Ige, Chairman, Non-academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), LASU Chapter, also confirmed that the strike was being observed in the university.

Ige said that although most of the demands of the unions had been met to a great extent at the local level by the Lagos State Government, the chapter had to comply with the strike directive in solidarity with the national body.

“Discussion concerning the issue on our Earned Academic Allowance and the staff school have almost been concluded; the management has promised to do the needful,” he said.

It was reported that the non-academic staff of universities under the auspices of SSANU and NASU are protesting Federal Government’s non-implementation of an agreement it reached with the unions in 2009.