Ibadan Poly Workers Begin Indefinite Strike Over Minimum Wage

Following the non-implementation of the National Minimum Wage introduced by President Muhammdu Buhari in 2019, The Polytechnic Ibadan workers union have commenced an indefinite strike.

The unions, which comprise of Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics announced the industrial action after a joint congress held on Monday.

Following the decision reached by the union, members of the school management, officials and students were not allowed to enter into the school premises thereby stalling the scheduled examinations slated to start today.

The academic activities of the institution after the Christmas break was scheduled to resume on Monday, January 11, 2021, with the start of first semester examinations for the 2019/2020 session but was disrupted by the protest by the unions.

The SSANIP Chairman of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Biodun Abegunde, told journalists that the unions were forced to embark on industrial action because the matter was beyond the school’s management and needs to be addressed urgently.

Abegunde had said the unions were demanding the implementation of the new minimum wage and the removal of a consultant in charge of the school finances to give room to financial autonomy for the institution.

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“The unions are agitating the implementation of the minimum wage and the removal of a consultant who has been handling and managing the financial affairs of the institution.

“This is a move towards financial autonomy. So the unions are clamouring for the removal of the consultant so that due process can be maintained by the institution.

“We want the institution to have powers to manage its affairs. The current mode of operation is affecting the smooth running and operation of the institution and the entire community of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, are not happy.

“We want the council of the institution to be the ones running the affairs of The Polytechnic, Ibadan,” Abegunde said.