Workers of the Ondo state government-owned Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, in Ondo state, have commenced an indefinite strike action over alleged unpaid salary arrears of about 11 months, by the authorities of the institution.
The workers said they were being owed salaries of December 2016, January 2017 and January to October 2021 salaries.
They added that they had not been promoted for the past two years.
The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics and the Non-Academic Staff Union of the institution took the decision at a Congress held in the institution.
According to the chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics of the institution, Mr Chris Olowolade said the workers had no alternative but to embark on the strike action following the alleged insensitive gesture of the management of the institution on their plight.
“The management of this institution is owing us backlog of salary, aside the 11 months salary arrears, we have three months promotion arrears. The last promotion was done in 2018, now we are in 2021.
“When you are in an office without moving forward, the motivation would not be there.
“Also, the management has not been recognising the unions as core stakeholders in the scheme of things in the campus, this and many other issues but the salary is the major reason.
Also, the Chairman of Non-Academic Staff Union of the institution, Mr Adebayo Obayoriade said the union have used every means at its disposal to resolve the impasse, but to no avail as the other party was not responding positively.
Obayiriade added that the union had met with elders of the Owo Community including the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye and other traditional rulers as well as other prominent indigenes in Owo Local Government Area, but to no avail.
“The union has written to the council, we have written to government to no avail, we are not fighting anybody but they should pay our salary.
“We are being owed 11months and as we are speaking now, we have not received salary this year. This is the problem.
He insisted the situation has gone of control as time was no longer on their side, hence the industrial action.
Contacted for comment, the spokesperson of the institution, Mr Samuel Ojo, said that situation was under control and that there was no cause for alarm.
