LASU SSANU goes on strike

The front gate of  Lagos state University

The administrative activities at the Lagos State University (LASU) was paralysed yesterday as the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) began an indefinite strike to press home the implementation of its demands.
The SSANU strike is coming barely one week after the university’s branch of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) began an indefinite industrial action over similar demands.
The decision to commence the strike was taken at a congress held last Friday after the one week ultimatum issued the governing council and the university management to implement the union’s three demands had expired.
The Chairman of SSANU LASU, Mr. Oseni Saheed, said congress took the decision to embark on an indefinite strike after it waited in vain for a committee set up by the state government to look into the contentious issues and the management to implement their demands.
According to him, at the Friday congress, members voted overwhelming to begin the strike the same day but it was later resolved to commence the industrial action yesterday to enable the association write the management officially.
He words: “SSANU LASU at its congress held on Friday, May 23, 2014 resolved to commence its suspended strike from Monday, May 26, based on the failure of the university management and the state government to meet our demands.’’
The SSANU boss listed the demands to include the reversal of the outrageous school fees imposed on the students, refusal to promote qualified members of staff in the 2011/2012 promotion exercise, outstanding promotion exercise for 2012/2013 and the non-implementation of the retirement age for non-teaching staff as approved by the Federal Government.
Saheed told Daily Sun that administrative activities on campus had been grounded including the Health Centre and vowed that no amount of threat would deter its members from the ongoing strike.
He said due process was followed in declaring the strike as its members waited for over three months after the meeting with the committee set up by the state government.

Source: Sun Newspaper