LASPOTECH: Unions threaten to pass ‘no confidence vote’ on management

The Non-academic Staff Union, Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu Chapter on Wednesday threatened to pass a “no confidence vote” on the institution’s Rector, Samuel Sogunro. ‎
Akinlawon Fasasi, the Chairman of NASU at the institution, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that the decision was due to some acts of insincerity by the management of the institution.
NAN reports that the staff unions had on November 8 ‎staged a protest and disrupted the ongoing meeting of its Governing Council.
Fasasi said the protest ‎followed a refusal by the management to pay the arrears of the ‎Consolidated Tertiary Institution Salary Structure 15 migration to ‎its junior staff.
According to him, the payment of the arrears was directed by the Lagos State Government.
The union had on October 20 disrupted activities at the campus before embarking on an indefinite strike, alleging management’s refusal to pay the difference between the old salary and CONTISS 15 since 2009.
The strike was suspended on November 1 following the state government’s intervention and directive ‎to the institution’s management ‎to effect payment of the increment from October salary.
Fasasi said despite the government’s intervention and directive, the management still renewed its effort to deny the staff of the increment in the October salary.
He said as the news reached the staff, they immediately engaged in an unprecedented struggle with the management, while also disrupting the governing council meeting.
The chairman said the council upon seeing the situation, approved ‎the payment of the increment with immediate effect.
Fasasi said: “It was a battle between the council and the management as the rector turned down the decision of the Governing Council and insisted on obtaining an authorisation for the payment from the state government.‎
“The management’s action was so alien to us as we have never had such an untrustworthy and insincere management.
“It was only after the Special Adviser on Education and other government representatives met the unions and the management and reached an agreement ‎on the payment, that the management decided to shift ground.”
Fasasi said sequel to the council’s approval, the new salary increment ‎was paid at about 10pm on November 8 to salvage the situation.
“We ensured that the bursary and account staff worked till late night on that day to ensure that the approval was implemented and staff were receiving their alerts,” ‎he added.
NAN.