BY NAN
LAGOS- The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Lagos State University Chapter, on Friday suspended its three-month strike.
The Chairman of the association, Mr Saheed Oseni, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that the strike would be suspended till Aug. 30.
He said that the decision was taken at a congress meeting on Friday morning following an agreement the union reached with the LASU Governing Council.
NAN reports that the union embarked on an indefinite strike on May 26, to press home some demands.
The union demands reduction in tuition fee, repeal of LASU’s no-vacancy-no-promotion policy, and implementation of the 2012 Universities Miscellaneous Provision Act.
Oseni said that SSANU suspended the strike after the governing council Chairman, Mr Bode Augusto, assured the union that the council would resolve the conflict at its next meeting on Aug 29.
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He said, “We are giving the governing council a benefit of the doubt; that is why we gave a time frame to the suspension, since the members would meet on Aug. 29.
“If the issue is resolved at the council meeting as promised, congress will convene to call off the strike.”
The unionist said that the union also reached an agreement with the university authorities to pay SSANU members’ two months salaries the authorities withheld during the strike.
He said, “We are giving the authorities till Aug. 5 to pay the outstanding salaries.
“It will be wrong for the university to hold its convocation on Aug.6 in an atmosphere where its members of staff are depressed.”
According to Oseni, withholding salaries within two months of strike negates labour laws, describing it as victimisation.
“It was unfair to selectively pay some staff by mere signing of a register opened by the authorities, while they actually were on strike and did not work,” he said.
Oseni urged the authorities to adhere to the agreement it signed with the union, adding that it should not victimise any SSANU member.
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