Fidelis David in Akure

Workers at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic in Owo, Ondo State, decided to call an indefinite strike today due to an alleged 11-month salary arrears by the institution’s management .

It comes two months after the two unions declared a three-day warning strike.

In a statement signed by Chris Olowolade, President of the Institution Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANP), and Obayoriade Adebayo, President of the Non-University Staff Union (NASU), and made available to THISDAY, the union agreed unanimously to call a strike. October 15, 2021.

Specifically, the aggrieved workers said they were owed wages from December 2016, January 2017 and January to October 2021. The workers also alleged that they had not been promoted in the past two years.

Also speaking after the congress, the president of the institution’s SSANIP, Olowolade, said the workers had no alternative but to go on strike following the alleged callous gesture by the leadership of the institution on their fate.

According to him, “The management of this institution owes us a backlog of wages; In addition to the 11 months of salary arrears, we also have three months of promotion arrears.

The last promotion was in 2018, and now it’s 2021.

“When you are in an office without moving forward, there will be no motivation. In addition, management has failed to recognize unions as key stakeholders in arranging things on campus among many other issues, but pay is the main reason we have to go on strike.

The president of the institution’s non-university staff union, Mr. Adebayo Obayoriade, said that the union had used all the means at its disposal to break the deadlock, but in vain because the other party did not respond positively. .

Obayiriade added that the union had met with elders from the Owo community, including the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye and other traditional leaders as well as other prominent indigenous people from the Owo local government area, but in vain.

He said: “The union also wrote to the council and the government, but to no avail. We are not fighting anybody, but they should pay our wages. We are owed 11 months of salary, and as of this writing, we have not received any salary this year.