NASU/SSANU Protest: OAU management issues ‘no work, no pay’ threat

Authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, on Tuesday, said it would implement “no work, no pay” rule against the protesting members of the Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).

Members of NASU and SSANU had last week embarked on protests to kick against the appointment of the new Vice Chancellor for OAU, Professor Ayobami Salami and other issues.

The protest, which is ongoing, took a new dimension on Tuesday, when the protesting workers appeared in red and black dresses, singing solidarity songs, just as they vowed to stop the newly appointed VC from assuming duty on Friday.

The workers had begun their protest and strike action since June 6, after taking the university authorities to court.

However, the OAU management in a directive signed by its registrar, Mr Dotun Awoyemi and dated June 20, threatened not to pay the salaries of the protesting workers.

The directive reads in part, “The University has viewed with grave concern the continued absence of some members of staff of SSANU and NASU and allied institutions from their duty post without any declaration of trade dispute since June 7, 2016.

“The university administration hereby directs all such members of staff to immediately report to their respective duty posts; otherwise; the university administration may not be in a better position to guarantee the payment of June 2016 salaries to this categories of workers.”

Meanwhile, the protesting workers vowed to continue with their protests till July 6, 2016, when another court hearing would hold.

The chairman of NASU, OAU branch, Comrade Wole Odewunmi, said, “The University Governing Council should keep committing illegality. On July 6, we would know if they actually received a court injunction or not.