LASU Lecturers Embark on Indefinite Strike Over Unpaid Salaries
The Lagos State University (LASU) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared an indefinite strike, citing the state government’s failure to implement the federal government-approved salary increment of 25 and 35 per cent for its members since January 2023.
According to ASUU-LASU, the strike action follows the refusal of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration to implement the increase, despite it being implemented in all federal universities and 18 state universities.
The union emphasized that this decision was not taken lightly, but rather as a last resort after all avenues of negotiation had been exhausted. ASUU-LASU Chairperson, Prof Ibrahim Bakare, and Secretary, Sylvester Idowu, jointly signed a statement announcing the strike.
The union is also calling on the Lagos State Government to harmonise its members’ salary scale with that of the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) and the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), which earn better than their counterparts in LASU. This demand is part of a broader push for better working conditions and compensation for academic staff at the university.
In a statement, ASUU-LASU dismissed claims by student leaders that only ASUU is embarking on strike, insisting that the action is total and involves other unions, including the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT). The union urged students not to allow themselves to be used in a matter that does not directly concern them.
