The Lagos State Government has urged the three staff unions of the Lagos State Polytechnic – Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) and Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) – to call off their strike over their claim of non-payment of arrears of the Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS) 15 Migration Scheme.
A statement released by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemoh, said that the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) had established that the demands of the unions in relation to the Migration Scheme are not in line with the provisions set out by the NBTE in 2009.
Consequently, the statement added that the Governing Council of the Institution was presented a copy of the NBTE report for distribution to the three staff unions for review and further recommendations to the state government.
According to Bank-Olemoh, in spite of the submission of the NBTE report, “The unions have maintained that the CONTISS 15 Salary Migration Scheme developed in 2009 by the NBTE, be implemented with payment of the accruing 87 months’ arrears, computed to the tune of N1.7 Billion”.
“Subsequently, the Unions called for a strike but in a bid to forestall any action which may impede academic activities, Lagos State Government filed a motion on notice for interlocutory injunction to restrain the unions from embarking on another strike at the National Industrial Court,’’ the statement added.
The Special Adviser asserted that the originating processes and motion on notice for interlocutory injunction have been served on the three unions respectively.
He reiterated the current administration’s commitment to entrenching stability in Lagos State’s tertiary institutions with the aim of ensuring that students, as well as faculty and staff freely pursue the transformative learning, innovation, and research that will ensure the continued prosperity of the state and the country as a whole.
The statement said further that the state government has continued to prioritize the funding and development of major infrastructural projects at tertiary institutions in the past year, and recently increased monthly subventions of all state institutions without owing any arrears.
“All members of staff and students should continue with their lawful activities on and off campus as the state government will continue to pursue all necessary steps to ensure peace, stability and security in the Polytechnic”, the statement added.
The state government, through the Special Adviser on Education, urged the three staff unions of the Lagos State Polytechnic to apply fair judgment and consider the students of the institution, particularly those in their final year who would be adversely affected if they are not allowed to take their final exams.
The Special Adviser directed all staff to resume work without further delay and instructed the management to monitor compliance and provide feedback to the Ministry of Education.