Laspotech Strike: ASUP Secretary releases statement, says strike is still ongoing

Contrary to Reports going rounds that Laspotech Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has called off it’s strike, there are new indications that the report is false, and the strike is still ongoing.

Find Below a statement made available to us by Uthman Olayinka, the ASUP Secretary, Laspotech Chapter.

Dear Congress Men and Women, the Union’s attention has been drawn to a deceitful and mischievous release making rounds and credited to the Management on the outcome of a meeting that was held at Alausa on Wednesday, 26th April, 2017.

The Union wish to unequivocally state that:

1. Throughout the 7 hours meeting, the Unions (ASUP, NASU & SSANIP) were never directed to summon Congresses to call off the ongoing strike. There was a suggestion that the Unions should inform their Congresses about the new ‘development,’ and the Unions equally suggested that the Rector should rather call a town hall meeting to address all staff on the ‘black market’ proposition of Permanent Secretaries (OSAE and ESTAB). Both the Unions and the Rector couldn’t agree on anything.

2. Your Union was reliably informed that the Rector had lobbied the Permanent Secretaries to support his idea of short changing our members, by declaring that 81 Months of the arrears should be jettisoned, while the Unions be forced to sign for only Six (6) Months. Of course, this is not new to us, the Rector started the plots long before now, you will all recall our last town hall meeting where this anti-people’s idea was mooted.

3. The Union totally kick against the imposition of obnoxious and ‘back door’ policy of a Ministry on our Institution. Hence, the reliance on the policy of the Ministry that Government cannot pay more than a maximum of six (6) months arrears is alien to us, and is NOT equally known to any Tertiary Institutions (LASU, AOCOED and MOCPED) in the state.

4. The Union strongly stand on the mandate of the Congress and have refused to be coerced by the Management into agreement that is not only selfish, inhuman but also contrary to the mandate of the Congress.

5. The Union also condemn in its totality the massive militarisation of the campuses, and proliferation of unlicensed arms and ammunition by the Management to intimidate and harass members of the Unions and generality of staff.

6. Kindly know that, your Union is doing everything to ensure that you are not short-changed and peace is restored to the campus.

7. Thank you for your unalloyed supports.