Commence an indefinite industrial action on Friday May 8 to press home their demands
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnic (SSANIP) and Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) of Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, on Friday locked out the Rector of the institution, Mrs Theresa Akande and other staff to protest non-payment of their allowances.
The protesting workers locked the main gate of the institution and forced the staff to park their vehicles at the gate and trek almost a kilometre into the campus.
The protesting workers commenced an indefinite industrial action on Friday May 8 to press home their demands, threatening to unseat the Rector for her alleged high-handedness.
According to Monday Jegede, the National Secretary of SSANIP, chief among the workers grievances are, the alleged `hard stance’ of the Rector on the payment of 60 months’ arrears of industrial Field trip allowance to the workers, depriving the workers of their duty and hazard/high risk allowances despite the directive by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) that they should be paid and the `incessant overseas trips’ of the management staff which he claimed that the Polytechnic was not financially buoyant to foot.
However, the Rector of the institution, Mrs Theresa Akande debunked the allegations, claiming prudence. She said the Federal Government had not approved the payment of the said allowances.
Akande said the Minister of Education had informed her that the Federal Government does not have the budget to pay 60 months arrears of the workers’ field trip allowance as demanded by them.
She, however, promised to enter into further negotiation with the protesting workers to enlighten them on the institution’s true financial status.
However, Mr Ade Adeniyi, the NASU chairman, denied Akande’s claims.
He said the payment of the allowances had been approved but not effected due to the alleged `insensitivity’ of the Rector to the plight of the staff.
Adeniyi flaunted a circular dated Oct. 12, 2011 and signed by the NBTE Executive Secretary, Mr Sheriff Sanda to corroborate his claim.
Buttressing Adeniyi’s claim, Mr Aderemi Ojo, the leader of SSANIP, alleged that members of the union promoted since 2010 were yet to be paid their entitlements.
He urged the workers to resist the management from deducting more than 7.5 per cent of their basic salary to the pension fund as prescribed by Pension Act 2004.
Ojo said the management erred by deducting same from the total allowances of workers.
