Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ibadan zone, has warned that the two-week warning strike embarked on by lecturers in Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) on Wednesday may become full blown.
Ibadan Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Dr. Ade Adejumo, who gave the warning yesterday, said if the Oyo and Osun State governments, the joint owners of the institution, failed to address the union’s demands within the two-week warning, the union would have no other choice than to embark on full blown strike.
The LAUTECH chapter of ASUU had embarked on the warning strike over non-payment of 10 months salaries to workers of the institution and the refusal of the owners to fund the university. The strike has, however, put on hold the first semester examinations of the 2017/2018 academic session.
Adejumo said non-payment of salaries to workers and university lecturers would “deepen corruption and heighten security tensions in the country when students are sent home due to strikes.
“ASUU strike currently on in the branch may become full blown if the governments fail to address their demands within the duration of the warning strike.
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“The bone of contention is that the owner states refused to fund the university and this has led to 10 months unpaid salaries, non-payment of earned academic allowances, pension and gratuity and National Health Insurance Schemes.”
Adejumo said in a statement yesterday that allowing the LAUTECH workers “to proceed on another round of strikes will put the progress of the institution on hold and expose the students to crime and criminality.