LASU Staff Unions’ Strike: 5 core demands

The usually bustling campuses of the Lagos State University (LASU) now lies quiet. Lecture halls are empty, administrative offices are locked, and the vibrant lifeblood of one of Nigeria’s most prestigious state universities has been momentarily paused. This silence is the sound of an indefinite strike, a collective industrial action that has brought all academic and non-academic activities to a grinding halt.

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Just days before the scheduled second-semester examinations for the 2024/2025 academic session were set to begin, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of LASU staff unions—comprising the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT)—announced a complete withdrawal of their services.
This strike is not an impulsive act but the culmination of months, and in some cases years, of simmering discontent and dialogue that failed to produce concrete results.

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The unions, unified under a single purpose, have presented a clear message: the welfare and fair treatment of their members are non-negotiable. While the University management and the Lagos State Government have often cited “unresolved issues,” a closer look reveals a complex web of grievances rooted in unkept promises, salary discrepancies, and a deep sense of being undervalued.

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Here, Lagos Voice will be delving into the five core reasons that have led to the current impasse, a dispute that threatens to throw the University’s academic calendar into disarray and leaves thousands of students in an agonizing state of uncertainty.

1.The Unimplemented Federal Wage Award

At the heart of the current crisis is the failure of the Lagos State Government to implement the federal government’s wage award. In a significant move to mitigate the economic hardship faced by workers, the Federal Government had approved a salary increment of between 25% and 35% for university staff.

This directive was not a mere suggestion; it was a policy designed to provide a much-needed financial buffer in a challenging economic climate. While the Federal Government and a reported 18 other state universities have already implemented this wage award, the Lagos State Government has yet to follow suit.

For LASU staff, this is a glaring act of omission and a primary source of frustration. The unions argue that the government’s inaction creates a significant disparity in take-home pay for their members compared to their counterparts in other institutions across the country. They see it not just as a financial loss, but as a symbolic gesture of disrespect for their profession and their contributions to the state’s educational sector.

This issue has been a point of contention for months, with previous warnings and consultations failing to prompt the necessary action from the state government. The strike, in this context, is a final, desperate measure to compel the authorities to honor a policy that has already been widely adopted elsewhere.

2.The Cry for Salary Parity

Another major grievance, and one that highlights the internal inequities within the state’s tertiary education system, is the issue of salary disparity. The LASU staff unions are vehemently protesting the fact that their members earn less than their colleagues at other state-owned institutions, specifically the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) and the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED).

This particular issue carries a unique sting. Both LASUSTECH and LASUED were recently upgraded from polytechnics and colleges of education to full-fledged universities. Staff at these newly elevated institutions, according to the unions, are already receiving a more favorable salary structure.

This situation has created a sense of injustice and demoralization among LASU staff, who feel that despite working at a long-established and highly-ranked university, they are being treated as a secondary priority. The unions have long called for a harmonization of salaries to ensure that staff across all state-owned tertiary institutions are on an equal footing.

This demand is not just about money; it is about dignity, professional equity, and the recognition that the academic and non-academic workforce at LASU is no less deserving than their peers elsewhere.

3.Governor Sanwo-Olu’s Unkept 20% Salary Promise

The current strike is also a direct response to what the unions describe as an unfulfilled campaign promise by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. During his electioneering campaign, the governor reportedly pledged to implement a 20% salary increase for all staff in the state’s tertiary institutions.

This promise was a key reason for the support he received from the unions. However, according to union leaders, after the election, the government only paid this increase to civil servants in the state secretariat, leaving university staff out of the equation.

The Chairman of the NASU-LASU chapter, in a statement, lamented this perceived betrayal, stating, “They used us, and in spite of our active contributions and efforts we made during the election, they have not fulfilled their promise.”

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This sentiment of feeling used and neglected adds a political dimension to the strike. It suggests a deeper erosion of trust between the university unions and the state government, where promises made to secure a political victory are seen as being callously discarded once that objective is achieved. This particular grievance resonates deeply with the staff, as it touches upon issues of political integrity and accountability.

4.The Deadlocked Salary Harmonization Committee

Prior to the strike, the unions had entered into a period of negotiation with the government, which culminated in the establishment of a committee to look into the grievances, particularly the issue of salary disparity. The unions, in good faith, participated in this process, providing their input and a list of their demands. However, the subsequent failure of the government to implement the recommendations of its own committee has been a major trigger for the industrial action.

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The unions argue that this inaction demonstrates a lack of seriousness and a stalling tactic on the part of the government. The purpose of a committee is to find a middle ground and propose a viable solution. When a government sets up such a committee and then ignores its findings, it sends a powerful message that the administration is not truly committed to resolving the issue.

For the unions, this was the final straw, proving that their peaceful approach and reliance on dialogue had failed. The strike, therefore, is not an act of impatience but a necessary consequence of what they perceive as a broken and unproductive negotiation process.

5.Broader Struggle for Staff Welfare and Morale

While the points above are distinct and specific, they all feed into a broader, underlying issue: the overall welfare and morale of the LASU staff. The strike is a holistic protest against what the unions feel is a systemic neglect of their well-being. It’s a fight for better working conditions, for the provision of adequate resources, and for a general atmosphere where staff feel valued and supported.

The collective action by all four unions—ASUU, SSANU, NASU, and NAAT, is a testament to the pervasive nature of the problem. This is not a sectional dispute; it is a unified front of academics, senior non-academics, technologists, and junior staff who all feel the pinch of inadequate pay and unfulfilled promises.

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The strike is a powerful statement signifying the state of staff welfare has reached a critical point, and that the continued neglect of these issues will have a direct and devastating impact on the quality of education at LASU. The unions believe that by taking this stand, they are not just fighting for themselves, but for the future of the university as a whole.

The indefinite strike leaves the fate of LASU students hanging in the balance, with their academic future now tied directly to the outcome of this labor dispute. The ball is now firmly in the court of the Lagos State Government, and the unions have made it clear that until their demands are met, the gates of one of Nigeria’s leading universities will remain shut.