Nigeria: Ondo Poly Workers Begin Indefinite Strike

Akure — Workers of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State, have resolved to commence an indefinite strike today over an alleged unpaid 11 months’ salary arrears by the management of the institution.

This is coming two months after both union declared a three-day warning strike.

In a communique signed by the institution Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP) Chairman, Chris Olowolade, and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) Chairman, Obayoriade Adebayo, and made available to THISDAY, the union unanimously agreed to commence the strike on October 15, 2021.

Specifically, the aggrieved workers said they were being owed salaries of December 2016, January 2017 and January to October 2021.The workers also alleged that they had not been promoted for the past two years.

Also speaking after the congress, the Chairman of SSANIP of the institution, Olowolade, said the workers had no other alternative but to embark on the strike following the alleged insensitive gesture of the management of the institution on their plight.

According to him, “The management of this institution owes us backlog of salary; aside the 11 months’ salary arrears, we have three months promotion arrears too.

The last promotion was done on 2018, and now we are in 2021.

“When you are in an office without moving forward, there won’t be motivation. Also, the management has not recognised the unions as core stakeholders in the scheme of things on campus among many other issues, but the salary is the major reason we have to embark on strike.

The Chairman of the Non-Academic Staff Union of the institution, Mr. Adebayo Obayoriade, said the union has used every means at its disposal to resolve the impasse, but to no avail as the other party was not responding positively.

Obayiriade added that the union had met with elders of the Owo community, including the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye, and other traditional rulers as well as other prominent indigenes in Owo Local Government Area, but to no avail.

He said: “The union has also written to the council and the government but all to no avail. We are not fighting anybody, but they should pay our salary. We are being owed 11 months’ salary, and as we are speaking now, we have not received any salary this year.”