READ LASU lecturers begin strike!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lecturers of the Lagos State University, Ojo on Tuesday commenced an industrial action, which they said was “total, comprehensive and indefinite.”Addressing journalists in Lagos, the Academic Staff Union of Universities LASU Chairman, Dr. Adekunle Idris, said the failure of the university authorities to meet their demands prompted the strike.According to him, members of the uniontook the unanimous decision at their congress in Ojo.Idris said, “The congress, after exhaustive deliberation, concluded that core issues that are germane to survivalof the university and career of our members have been neglected by the authorities.”The union’s National Executive Council, he added, authorised the chapter to embark on the strike at a meeting held at the University of Ibadan from May 14 to May 15.He added, “We declare that as from Tuesday, May 20, we, the academic staff of LASU, are withdrawing our services to embark on a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike.“It is a sad decision we are compelled to take and have taken it with every sense of responsibility.”He said the three core demands of the union yet to be met by the university authorities include the reversal of the high tuition and the repeal of the “No Vacancy, No Promotion’’ policy in the university.According to him, the implementation ofthe Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions Amendment) Act 2012, already operational in other universities,is also still pending at LASU.The union, he noted, had explored all avenues to dialogue with the authoritiesand the opinion leaders in the state in a bid to avert the strike but they did not yield results.“ASUU-LASU had used every opportunity to persuade the appropriateauthorities to consider all our concerns in good time.“Regrettably, the union had no choice but to declare a trade dispute and at several times met the management, governing council and chancellor, but the issues remained unresolved.“We are at loss as to why the authoritieshave refused to frontally address these issues for over one year.“Our goals are noble and so we intend to pursue them to a logical conclusion,”Idris said.The News Agency of Nigeria reports that ASUU-LASU on March 24 had issued the management a 21-day ultimatum to meet its demands.The union also gave a 14-day ultimatum effective April 15, and another seven-day ultimatum on May 1.The union finally gave a three-day ultimatum on May 12, which expired May 14.But reacting to the development, the LASU Public Relations Officer, Mr. Kayode Sutton, told NAN that the authorities had not received an official letter from the union on the action.Sutton said, “Officially, the managementhas not been communicated about the strike declaration by ASUU; we await a letter to that effect.”He added that of the initial 21 demands by the union, there were only three demands that the authorities had yet to meet.