Tertiary institutions owned by Oyo State have commenced an indefinite strike, citing the non-payment of staff minimum wage and other arrears as their primary grievances.
Dr. Kola Lawal, Chairman of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) for Oyo State’s tertiary institutions, announced the action in Ibadan, emphasizing that despite ongoing negotiations, the management of the institutions has failed to meet the demands.
“Since January 2024, our counterparts in other institutions have been benefiting from the approved 25% and 35% salary increments.
However, despite several meetings, notices, and ultimatums, our management have been unable to implement these increases and the new minimum wage,” Lawal stated.
Lawal also pointed out that institutions like Ladoke Akintola University of Technology and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education had already implemented the salary increases, which further fueled the unions’ frustration.
After previous warning strikes, the unions were left with no choice but to escalate their action.
The unions are also calling for an increase in the subvention provided to the institutions to ensure they can meet their financial obligations, including the payment of the newly approved wage structure.
Meanwhile, the rectors of the affected institutions, including The Polytechnic Ibadan and Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, have urged the unions to reconsider the timing of the strike.
In a statement, they expressed concerns about the disruption the strike would cause to academic activities and urged further negotiations.
“We appreciate the appeal from the authorities and are committed to exploring further dialogue through online meetings with union representatives,” Lawal responded.