- College Owes Workers’ 60 Months Salary Arrears.
By Ademola Orubon
No fewer than 120 union leaders and other workers of Tai Solarin College of Education (TASCE), Omu-ijebu, Ogun State have been invited to appear before the Governing Council’s Disciplinary Committee.
Ogun State Government and management of the institution are owing the workers 61 months salaries and this has resulted in incessant strikes by the aggrieved workers.
As at the time of filling this report, the workers have not received their February salary and the union leaders said rather than pay staff, the management constantly threatened to sack them for demanding payment of the salary arrears as well as other allowances.
The letter of invitation to face the panel dated March 24, 2020 was signed by the Registrar and Secretary to Council, Dr. A. Adeleke. The affected workers are to appear before the on Thursday and Friday.
The letter reads: “This is to inform the entire staff (both teaching and non-teaching) of the college that some concerned staff are to appear before council disciplinary committee.
“However, if invited, you are strongly advised to liaise with your dean of school/director/heads of department/acting registrar for the collection of formal letter of invitation to appear before the committee.
“Sequel to the above, the affected staff are expected to stay in their respective offices while invitation shall be extended to them at the appropriate time to maintain social distance and avoid unnecessary gathering as stated by the Ogun State Government in it’s bid to curtail the spread of the current pandemic virus ravaging the world.
“You are to be assured that necessary health precaution/measures have been put in place at the venue by the college management to guarantee the safety of invited staff.”
In a swift reaction, Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR) alleged that the invitation was a plan by the Dr. Kiadese Lukman-led management of TASCE to sack the 120 workers over their roles in the struggle for payment of over 60 months arrears of salaries.
CDWR said before now, some of the union leaders were arrested and arraigned before a court on trumped up charges.
The group warned that the 120 workers don’t deserve to be sacked for demanding their owed salary arrears and urged Governor Dapo Abiodun to probe the administration of Dr. Lukman-led management.
Chairman of the panel and Ogun State Head of Service, Amope Chokor, in a letter to the affected workers, said they were being invited for flouting management directives, assault and insubordination.