Teachers of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife and University of Ibadan staff schools on Thursday protested against the failure to comply with the industrial court ruling, which ordered their inclusion in the institutions’ payroll.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, the National Vice president of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SANU), South West, Comrade Alfred Jimoh, said they were protesting against the injustice meted out to staff school teachers in the two universities.
He accused the management of the two institutions of allegedly disobeying the court order on the staff school, as well as contemplating plans to privatise the institution staff schools.
He said, “we have been on this since 2014. At a point, the Minister of Labour took the matter to court for interpretation of the clause that the university shall see to the recurrent and current expenditures of the staff school where the university was referring to the government.”
“After the judgement was delivered on December 5, both University of Ibadan and Obafemi Awolowo University are yet to comply with the industrial court ruling. The Vice-chancellor of OAU is instead planning to privatise the staff school which we will not condone.”
“The UI said it was waiting for a circular from the government before complying while OAU is yet to comply, our workers are being owed 13months salaries. Our workers are being paid half salaries and not paid as and when due. UI was also paying 75 percentage which they last paid in March and they expect them to teach their children who are pupils of the school.”
“The leadership of the two unions, SSANU and NASSU met on Monday where it was decided that another round of pressure should be mounted on the management of the universities until their demands are meant,” Jimoh asserted.
He, however, explained that though the national leadership of the two national unions was yet to direct the teachers to embark on strike, teachers could boycott classes until their demands are met.
Credit: Nigerian Tribune
