University of Ibadan begins industrial action

All is not well with the ivory tower, University of Ibadan as academic and administrative activities were paralysed at the institution on Monday.

The Non-academic staff unions
continued their warning strike on Monday to demand full payment of salaries and arrears from January
2016 to date.

Staff of the university have since January 2016 been collecting incomplete salaries due to shortfall of allocation from the federal government to the institution.

The unions had ordered their members to go home last week Friday after holding a joint congress at the university entrance gate forcing people to trek distances to their destinations.

However, in a post on the social media, Bursar of the University Michael Alatise disclosed that the university has now received payment of shortfalls covering January to April, 2016 with directive of the Vice Chancellor, Professor Idowu Olayinka that the money be paid.

Nurses at LUTH suspend strike

Nurses at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi-Araba yesterday suspended its protracted strike which resulted to the discharge of all patients in the
tertiary hospital.

Full services will resume at the hospital from today, raising hope that patients who had abandoned the facility since June 10, 2016 can return to the hospital.

Vice President of the Nigerian Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), LUT H Branch, Stephen Olutola told Vanguard that the strike was suspended after a meeting between the leadership of the nurses and the Federal Ministry of Health, FMOH, during which the ministry pledged to address the demands of the nurses.

LUTH nurses clarify reasons for on-going strike

There seem to be no end soon for a truce between the striking nurses at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and the management of the institution.

At a meeting on Tuesday called by the State chapter of the Nigerian Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) with the striking nurses, the State NANNM Chairman, Comrade Olurotimi Awojide said he has been reliably informed that the LUTH management may not be able to hold any meeting with the executives of Lagos NANNM because the Chief Medical Director (CMD) Prof Chris Bode and some of the hospital’s top management officials have travelled.

Comrade Awojide said the hospital should watch it because some other members of the association are watching with keen interest what is unfolding at LUTH, hence the Psychiatry Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta has commenced on a strike for similar demands.

He explained that LUTH management should understand the nitty gritty of Civil Service Commission, especially as it relates with engagement/employment and promotion.

Comrade Awojide said it is an embarrassment for a 54 year old tertiary institution not to have regular supply of water and light. “These are very important to any hospital environment. And you know the importance of water in prevention of spread of infections, as witnessed during the Ebola outbreak. It is highly important for the safety of patient and staff, especially nurses. Nurses use their personal money to purchase consumables such as gloves, syringes o attend to patients, either because they are not enough or totally unavailable. That is how bad the whole system is, here at LUTH. Allowances for nurses are not paid, for instance, teaching allowance and uniform allowance. The annoying part is that professionals that are not captured or entitled when the circular was being presented are being paid, thereby robbing legitimate professionals like nurses from being paid, for example administrative officer collecting teaching allowance. We are not asking the management to stop that, but to give us our legitimate due.”

On the issue of promotion of nurses without First degree, as maintained by the hospital, Comrade Awojide explained, “Nurses that are at Assistant Chief Nursing officer post awaiting promotion to the position of Chief Nursing officer are already on CONHESS 12, and LUTH management is still ‘promoting’ them to CONHESS 12, By saying CONHESS 13 is for Assistant Director. That is wrong. We gave the Management the necessary papers/document to support what is right and for simpler understanding, to no avail. Chief Nursing Officer is on CONHESS 13, the Directorate cadre starts from CONHESS 14 and above. So promotion starts from CONHESS 12 to 13 as Chief Nursing officer. That is what obtains among other federal health hospitals, so why should LUTH be any different? We brought copies of promotion letters from other hospitals to convince the LUTH management to no avail.

Oyo State Teachers Continue Strike Despite Government Orders

Striking public school teachers in Oyo State defied the State government's orders to resume work on Monday.

For the past month, teachers and students alike have been on strike in protest of the Oyo State government's plans to introduce a "public-private partnership" in its schools. The strike action was called by the Oyo State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on June 6 following student protests against the privatization scheme.

Schools across the State were subsequently shut down due to the violent nature of some of the protests.

Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi had on Saturday directed teachers to return to their posts on Monday. However, Oyo State NLC leader Waheed Olojede encouraged teachers to defy this order, saying that they should not resume work until the State gives in to the teachers' demands.

According to Punch Newspaper, some students reported to their classes in schools in Ibadan, the State capital, but there were no teachers present.

It was gathered that some parents are prohibiting their children from returning to school until the dispute between teachers and the State government is resolved. Teachers and students were spotted in some schools in Odo-Ana, Apata, Owode, and Molete, but most left before 11:30 AM, according to one report.

In response to the strike, the Oyo State government has formed a fourteen-person committee consisting of seven representatives each from the government and the NLC towards reaching an agreement that would end the strike.

Ekiti university workers on strike over unpaid salaries

Academic and non-academic activities were paralyzed on Monday at the Ekiti State University, (EKSU) Ado-Ekiti, as the workers protested against non-payment of six-month subventions, salary arrears as well as cooperative deductions among others.

The angry staff prevented vehicular
and human movement in and out of the institution as they ensured that all gates to the campus were under lock and key.

Vehicles were parked outside as many of the staff and students roamed about in front of the school gate.

The unions who participated in the protest include the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) National Association of Area Technologists (NAT) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), among others.

According to them, contrary to the government’s view that the institution’s recent investment in some ventures to shore up its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), has made it capable of taking care of paying salary, emoluments, and remuneration, all is not well, as the management has only been able to pay a paltry 20% of the staff’s salary arrears since March this year.

They maintained that the management had failed to live up to its responsibilities due to the failure of the state government to pay subventions since January this year.

Governor Ayodele Fayose had during its convocation last month praised the management of the institution for raising the bar of its IGR to cater for its salaries and allowances, but the protesting workers said the governor might have been misinformed by the school management as they have been receiving 20 percent of their net pay since January this year.

Speaking about the plight of the workers, SSANU chairman, Mr.
Kolapo Olatunde, said: “the last subvention the State Government released the to the university was in December, last year.

Strike: Ekiti Students protest govt’s failure to pay workers

Students of tertiary institutions in Ekiti state, under the aegis of National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Thursday took to the streets of Ado-Ekiti to protest the failure of the State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose to pay the salaries of workers.

The protesters who carried placards of different inscriptions described Fayose as not been sincere and concerned about the plight of the striking workers.

Some of the placards read: "He who works deserved to be paid", "Workers are dying of hunger", "NANS say no to taxation of school pupils in Ekiti" among others.

They were chanting several anti-government songs, calling on Governor Fayose to pay salaries of workers as many of them are experiencing serious hardship.

The protesting students comprising representatives from different higher institutions in Ekiti state converged at Fajuyi roundabout, from where they move through the governor's office along Okesa

Civil servants in Ekiti state are been owned 5 months salaries and other entitlements. As a result, civil servants in Ekiti embarked on indefinite strike to push their demands.

Speaking with newsmen, president of NANS Ekiti Chapter, Comrade Shina Awopeju lamented that the strike had brought setback to the education sector in the state.

ASUU, AAU Chapter yet to decide on proposed strike

According Cletus Oribhabor the
SUG Director of Information the meeting held by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Ambrose Ali University,AAU, chapter at around 10am yesterday has not yielded the desired result.

ASUU (AAU Chapter) were unable to come to a conclusion whether or not to embark on strike after series of talks which lasted hours.

However, the School management are trying to convince the aggrieved  lectures not to embark on strike but ASUU insisted on embarking on strike, pending when their request are attensed to.

The meeting has been adjourned for today wednesday 22nd July 2016 for finally conclusion.

Resident Doctors commence indefinite strike nationwide

The National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, on Monday said it has commenced an indefinite strike over the non-payment of 10 months salaries of some of its members.

The President of the Obafemi Awolowo University chapter of the association, Dr. Wole Ayegbusi, disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Osogbo on Monday morning.

He said, “We have started an indefinite strike this morning to drive home our demands.

“The most saddening part of it is that our members in the state teaching hospitals have not been paid for 10 months and these are some of the members that are rendering essential services.

“We need to realise that, we cannot be comparing doctors to other civil servants because if they(civil servants) fall sick and doctors are not well paid, they will never be well attended to.

“You will be surprised that today, some federal teaching hospitals have not paid December salaries, which is unfair because it affects our productivity.

“Also some of our members have been sacked for an unjust cause and several times we have made efforts to dialogue with the Federal Ministry of Health but maybe due to their selfish reason or incompetence , we have not been able to actualise that.

“Most of the community people are poor and they cannot travel abroad to get treatment.”

Ayegbusi lamented government’s neglect of the country’s health sector and wondered why they should ignore the payment of some doctors salaries who were on essential duties for as long as 10 months and expect them to be attending to patients.

He said that NARD had resorted to the strike because it appears to be the only language the government understands.

Ayegbusi pointed out that the strike would have been avoidable had the federal government done anything with the ultimatum issued it by the association, adding that the indefinite strike became necessary because nothing had been done on all the issues raised with them.

UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA Students Embarks on Indefinite Strike Till Demands are met

STUDENTS UNION GOVERNMENT, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, ENUGU CAMPUS.- Resolution Of The JCC Meeting, 12th June.

The Students Union Government, of the University at her Joint Consultative Council meeting held today, at her secretariat wishes to inform all students of the University, as well as members of the Public that the warning Strike action embarked upon by the union last week has been extended indefinitely till the management of the University yield to the students demand for better welfare conditions which include;

1. 7-12 midnight generator power supply through the provision of a 1500KVA generator

2. Review of the University’s academic calendar and adjusting of this semester’s examination to make up for the period lost in darkness.

The students of the University, has put forward their demands through their union and have reaffirmed their commitment that until their demands are met, they would not be returning back to the classrooms.

Hence, the Strike action of the Students Union continues till whenever the situation is addressed.

#No Light, #No Lectures, #No Exama #NLNLNE

We thank the University students for their support thus far, and affirm that we can only achieve these demands for a better students welfare In UNEC when we stand as one. We appeal to you once again to stand with us in this struggle for your welfare.

We stand to say, it is our fight, our struggle and our welfare.
#United We Stand!!

The voice of UNEC Students must be heard!!. #Let there be light.
SUG UNEC
Aluta Continua, Victoria Ascerta.