Strike: Management Working Round The Clock To Resolve The Issues, Says UI Spokesperson

ABRAHAM OLADIPUPO/Ibadan

The management of the University of Ibadan has appealed to members of the Non-Academic Staff Unions of the institution to show more understanding over their decision to down tools.

The members who commenced the on-going strike last week Monday over what they term incessant deduction in their monthly remuneration have vowed to stay off work until their demands are met.

The unions are Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU, and National Association of Academic Technicians, NAAT.

Their decision to down tools has paralysed activities in the institution as lecture rooms, laboratories, and other facilities are no longer open to the students and the teaching staff.

In an exclusive chat with our correspondent, Director, Directorate of Public Communication, Mr. Olatunji Oladejo said the management is working round the clock on the matter.

“We are working round the clock and management is pleading for their understanding and cooperation over the matter,” Oladejo said.

He added that the shortfall is not an internal issue as the Federal Government is responsible for this.

A member of the Union who does not want his name in print argues that management could as well alleviate their sufferings of the staff through the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

“We know the Vice Chancellor is not responsible for the shortfall but for the sake of our plight, projects can stop while the IGR used in the interim to alleviate our sufferings. Can you imagine over N60,000 shortfall in some people’s salary? For some people its N10,000, other are N20,000 and so on. How much do we earn that such amount is missing from the salaries?” the source queried.

Our correspondent gathered that the unions began the indefinite strike on March 10 to protest against shortfalls in payment of salaries and illegal deduction in pension since December 2016.

Though it has been on since last year, P.M.EXPRESS gathered that the shortfall in the month of February hit the staff hardest.