Nationwide strike looms at unity colleges

• Sagamu, Ikirun others already affected
A nationwide strike may begin in all Federal Government Colleges in the country unless the demands of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) are met.

The Chairman of Queens College’s chapter of ASCSN, Sarafadeen Oladejo disclosed this to The Guardian yesterday.

She warned that the ASCSN’s patience should not be taken for granted, adding that the union would begin a nationwide strike, if nothing is done by Monday June 12, 2017.

Already academic activities in 13 federal government colleges in the north central and the southwest zone had been grounded for over one month.

The colleges affected are the Federal Government College (FGC), Ikirun, Osun State, Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Omu Aran and FGGC, Sagamu, Ogun State.

The workers are demanding the payment of their September, November and December 2016 salaries and allowances, as well as those of May 2017 and the backlogs of their promotion arrears.

Oladejo explained that the colleges that were already on strike obtained permission from the national body of the union.

“Some colleges in Kwara, Ogun and Osun states have their specific demands, but the planned nationwide strike would commence on June 12. The association has already intimated all the principals in the unity colleges about the proposed strike unless the payments are made, he said.

As the strike looms, some parents have expressed unhappiness that it would affect their children’s education.

A concerned parent, Mrs Judith Kennedy urged government to quickly resolve the issues in the interest of the innocent children.

Meanwhile, parents of students at the colleges at Ikirun and Sagamu had, at the weekend withdrawn their children from the schools until the strike is called off.

When contacted, a director at the Federal Ministry of Education, who did not want his name in print confirmed that the workers were being owed.

He said: “Some of the colleges were being owed only one month’s salary and government is doing all it can to pay them. Some others had been paid, while other are still being sorted out. We urge them to be patient, particularly as we are not the budget or finance ministry that is charge of the arrangement.”