The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Lagos State University (LASU) branch, has said that it is not part of the ongoing strike embarked upon by the national body of the union.
The union in a statement issued on Monday said there are procedures to be followed even if the university branch of the union would proceed on any local strike ahead of the action.
According to the union, the national body of ASUU is currently on a nationwide strike on issues bordering on attempt by the Federal Government to forcefully migrate its members in federal universities into IPPIS; refusal to show genuine commitment to the renegotiation of 2009 ASUU/FGN agreement whose renewal became due in 2013; and the failure to implement the Memorandum of Action of 2019 ,among other issues.
It said in the tradition and principle of the union, no branch is permitted to go on a local strike when it is on a national strike, adding that ASUU-LASU cannot be on local strike when there is a national strike ongoing.
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In the statement signed by the Secretary, ASUU LASU, Tony Dansu, and Assistant Secretary, ASUU LASU, Adeolu Oyekan, the union said part of the procedure to go on strike is for the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU to consider the request of the branch to proceed on strike and approve same, further to which notices of 21 days,14 days and 7 days are given to the concerned parties.
The union explained that ASUU-LASU did not at any time initiate this process, noting that “as a matter of fact, ASUU did not at any point in time partake in the negotiation of the last minimum wage.”
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The statement read, “We do not therefore have a basis for industrial dispute with the State Government over an agreement that is non-existent, as a law-abiding Union.
“It needs to be noted that the University salary structure though related in few aspects, is different from that of the Civil Service (UASS, CONUASS, and CONPUASS). The long overdue renegotiation of this salary scale is one of the reasons for the ongoing ASUU national strike. It is therefore impossible for a branch of the union to duplicate its strike on the same matter.
“The true situation with LASU at the moment is that it is exempted from the ongoing national ASUU strike, as it is currently under sanctions from the NEC…This means effectively, that colleagues in other public universities in Nigeria are mandated not to participate with LASU academics in conferences, seminars and symposia.
“Furthermore, they are requested not to grant them the privileges of sabbatical leave, visiting scholarship, invitation to serve as External Examiners, or contributors to other academic engagements. The sanctions shall subsist until they are vacated by NEC.
“We thus wish to state unequivocally that ASUU-LASU is not on any local strike at the moment. We dissociate ourselves from the ongoing situation in the university; and this is without prejudice to whatever agreement or dispute the other staff unions may have with the University administration or Lagos State Government.
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“Once there is a new agreement between ASUU/FGN/ State Governments on a new University salary scale, the union will consider if there is a need to use the minimum bench-mark for demanding a consideration of’ Lagos Factor’ allowances to accommodate the exceptionally high cost of living and working in Lagos, as has been the case in times past.”
It however advised the state government and the university administration to focus on the payment of the Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) of its members, which it said, had been outstanding since 2009.
“At this point in time, we believe that what the State Government and the University administration should focus on is the payment of the Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) of our members, which have been outstanding since 2009. LASU is the only University that has not commenced payment of these allowances, thereby accumulating an unconscionable arrear of eleven (11) years. A labouring academic deserves his or her due wage,” the union noted.
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