Strike looms as LASU workers demand salary parity with LASUSTECH, LASUED
Lagos State University (LASU) workers have called on Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to urgently address salary disparities between LASU and other state-owned institutions, specifically the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) and the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED).
The workers, represented by the Joint Action Committee (JAC), are currently on strike over the issue, citing discrepancies that have led to staff at LASUSTECH and LASUED receiving better compensation than their counterparts at LASU.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, the workers expressed their frustration over the stark pay inequality, highlighting that a Chief Lecturer III at LASUED, formerly a College of Education, now earns more than a full professor at LASU.
According to the staff unions, this anomaly is not only unjust but has also led to significant discontent among both academic and non-academic staff at LASU.
“We are deeply concerned about the disparity in salaries between our members at LASU and their colleagues at LASUSTECH and LASUED,” said Professor Ibrahim A. Bakare, Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at LASU.
“How can a Chief Lecturer III at LASUED be earning more than a professor at LASU? This is unjustifiable, and we demand urgent redress.”
Comrade Oluwaseyi Lawal, Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), emphasised that the issue had persisted for far too long and was undermining staff morale.
“The gap in our earnings has become unbearable. We are all under the same Lagos State government, and there is no reason why our salaries should differ from those at other state universities. We call on Governor Sanwo-Olu to address this injustice,” he said.
The staff unions, which include ASUU, SSANU, the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Allied Institutions (NASU), outlined their demands. These include the full implementation of the 25%/35% salary increase for staff as agreed by the Federal Government, and the harmonisation of salaries across the three institutions.
Additionally, the workers are calling for the swift approval of the National Minimum Wage for staff, in accordance with the new regulations under the National Minimum Wage Law of 2024.
The staff unions expressed their trust in Governor Sanwo-Olu’s leadership and urged him to take prompt action on their demands, noting that his intervention could resolve the ongoing strike and restore peace to LASU.
“We are hopeful that Governor Sanwo-Olu will act quickly to resolve these issues and ensure that LASU is not left behind in terms of staff welfare.
“We also ask the government to address the deteriorating condition of the staff buses provided in 2008, as many are no longer operational, forcing workers to bear the burden of high transport costs,” said Comrade Obafemi Sanni, NASU Chairman.
