Workers at MAPOLY protest not being paid for three months of services
At Moshood Abiola Polytechnic in Abeokuta, members of the Non-Academic Staff Union and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics protested on Wednesday over a number of issues, including the non-payment of their three months' wage.
Armed with placards reading "Enough of suffering and smiling," "Implementation of minimum wage," and "Pay our pension deduction," the protesters pleaded with the government to save them.
The employees circled the school's grounds, went to the administrative building, and then blocked the door.
Following the school's management's inability to fulfill its mandate, they demanded that the Ogun State government take over operation of the school.
The staff had no future working for MAPOLY, according to Dada Olalekan, Chairman of SSANIP's MAPOLY branch, because of the way the school was run.
Olalekan suggested that the state government emulate the Oyo, Lagos, and Osun state governments by taking over the school's account and making payments straight from the state.
"We are here to claim our entitlements," Olalekan declared.
“The management of MAPOLY is owing us three months salary from October 2022. All other institutions and government agencies are collecting minimum wage, MAPOLY has refused to implement the minimum wage. The management is owing us 55 months pension arrears.
“As I speak, nobody has a pension future here. If anybody retires tomorrow, there’s no future or pension for that person.
“The last promotion that was done in MAPOLY was in 2019; 2020 t0 2022 promotions are still in arrears, the appointment promotion has not been done since 2019, colleagues in other institution have overtaken us because of promotion and appointment.
“The government should take account of MAPOLY and start to pay us as it is being done in all other states like Oyo State.
“Oyo State has more higher institutions and they pay all their salaries before 25th of every month 100%.”
Kolawole Sopade, the Chairman of NASU's MAPOLY section, echoed his colleague's assertion that MAPOLY is administered as a private institution with school fees as its sole source of funding.
He stated, "Based on the JAMB and NBTE quota they provided us, there is no guarantee that we will earn another salary in three months if we collect the wage we are talking about right now. If we enroll students now with limited quota they gave to us, and the limited school fees they are going to pay, there is no means of survival after March or April, that is why we are calling on government to come to our aide.”
As of the time this story was filed, Yemi Ajibola, the Polytechnic's public relations officer, could not be reached.
References
Punchng, 'MAPOLY workers protest non-payment of three months salaries' (online, 2023) <https://punchng.com/mapoly-workers-protest-non-payment-of-three-months-salaries/>.
