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Academic staff in the four tertiary institutions owned by Osun State government have embarked on an indefinite strike to press home their demands on certain matters including retirement age and pension.
The strike by the workers yesterday grounded academic activities at the Osun State Polytechnic, Osun State College of Technoilogy, Osun State Colleges of Education in Ila-Oragun and that of Ilesa, Daily Trust gathered.
The lecturers had earlier embarked on two day a week warning strike for three consecutive weeks before declaring the indefinite strike.
The lecturers are demanding among other things, the elongation of service of academic staff from 60 to 65years, insisting that most tertiary institutions have given approval to that effect and are complying with it.
But the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola, described the demand as unreasonable in an economy where over 60 per cent of Nigerian youths are unemployed. He said only the state lawmakers can make the change in the elongation of service year through legislation.
They are also demanding the remittance of their contributory pension allowance, maintaining that since February 2012, when the scheme was adopted in the state, their 7.5 per cent contributory pension has not been paid to them by the state government whereas it is being deducted.
The lecturers also lamented over the 20 per cent tax deducted from their salaries, saying that the amount is too high.
The Public Relations Officer of the Council of Academic Staff Union of Tertiary Institutions in Osun State, Mr. Dotun Omisore, confirmed the incident, saying that there is no going back on the action.
He said until the state government meets their demands, the lecturers would not return to classes, adding that the union has given the state government enough latitude.
Speaking on the development earlier, the state’s Commissioner for Information, Sunday Akere, said there was industrial dispute between the union and the state government, and pleaded with the lecturers to tarry a bit on their action in the interest of the students and people of the state.
On the issue of 20 per cent tax being deducted from their salaries, Akere said that the percentage being deducted by the government was approved by the Federal Government.
http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/index.php/news-news/52502-osun-lecturers-embark-on-strike-over-retirement-age-pension