Democratic Socialist Movement

For Struggle, Solidarity and Socialism in Nigeria

By - DSM

TASCE: Pay all salaries arrears and remit all deduction

  • Drop trumped-up charges against Aborisade and others, recall Miss Ogunfeibo and end victimization of workers

By Eko John Nicholas

The Dipo Abiodun APC-led government of Ogun state has repeatedly shown his disdain towards the plights of the workers since his assumption of office, his pretences as workers friendly governor to the contrary.

The place where this is well captured and exemplify clearly is at the TASCE where the workers owed over 60 months of unpaid salary arrears by the immediate past government of Ibikunle Amosun, while the present government owes the workers 9 months unpaid salary arrears till date: unpaid half salaries 50% for the months of April, May, June, July, November, non-payments 100% of August September, October and December. But rather than pay the workers their legitimate earnings and meeting their demands, the Dapo Abiodun government, like the ostrich, has chosen to bury its head in the sand while the school management has embarked on all forms of vengeful attacks directed mostly at staff members seen to have played determined and principled roles in the struggle to fightback.

These attacks on workers’ democratic and inalienable rights, remain condemned and the general public must demands an immediate halt to all forms of vindictive acts and highhandedness by the college management, including the harassment and assaults of workers by the policemen currently placed on the campus by the Provost; arbitrary suspension of workers; and other forms of victimization geared towards striking fear in the minds and hearts of the staff and whipping them to meekness and blind submissions, as against resisting the corrupt, tyrannical  reigns of the Dr Kiadese-led management, who has made himself the lord of the manor in the college!

The Dipo Abiodun-led government should stop all pretences and grandstanding, and immediately accede to the workers’ legitimate demands without much ado; drop all trumped up charges against the workers; relieve the current Provost of his appointment for public interests sake; and end the perceived tacit support his government is giving to the Provost’s misdeeds and stop backing him, so as to guarantee a lasting peace in the College.

Though the government has now constituted governing council for the college, without workers representation, and restore trade unions activities in the college, nothing fundamental has changed. The court case hanging on the workers necks still remains and comes for hearing in February at Abeokuta, the suspension of some members of staff have not been reversed and query letters are still being issued to the workers for the most flimsy offences.

For instance, Miss Temitope Oluwatosin Ogunfeibo, of the Information Technology Department, who was suspended for ‘assaults to the provost’ on Thursday 21st November, 2019, an allegation which is unfonded, has not been reinstated. Also some wrongheaded transfers made to punish some staffs seen as antagonists by the management have not been reversed either. Yet, the governor continued to flaunts the constitution of a visitation panel for the college and it half-hearted implementation of its recommendations, and the current graveyard peace been experienced in the college as an achievement, while nothing is mentioned of the unpaid salary areas owed the workers by Dipo Abiodun’s and the immediate past government.

Also recall that the non/half-hearted implementation of panel reports, had led to the continued agitations by workers leading to the arrest of the leaders of the protests and their subsequent arraignment on the order of the state governor. The case against the workers is still in court, and the College management has now dragged some of the workers including Comrade Daniel Aborisade: the leader of the struggle under the now banned and rested Coalition of Tai Solarin College Staff, to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT)!

While the workers of TASCE are continually owed their unpaid salaries, the management still find it convenient and proper to spend over 100 million naira for the convocation ceremony of the college late last year without qualms!

All these underscore the need for the workers to rekindle the struggle, if they hope to win enduring concessions and the little granted so far is not taken away. This can only be possible if the workers are united and form common front, avoiding divisive tendencies. This would mean that TASCE workers seek solidarity and collaborations with NLC, ULC, TUC, socialist and other working class oriented organizations like DSM, CDWR etc.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), United Labour Congress (ULC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) should also break their silence by declaring solidarity actions including a 24hrs warning in support of TASCE workers’ demands and also to press home the demand for the payments of the newly approved minimum wage to the state workers without further ado.

NLC, ULC and TUC as a matter of urgent importance should commence mobilization of the workers through mass campaign: press conferences, mass meeting of workers and civil societies, symposia, leafleting and rallies to gain mass support and public sympathy for both TASCE workers’ demands in particular and the minimum wage in general geared towards improving the working and living conditions of the workers in Ogun state.

OUR DEMANDS:

  1. Drop all trumped-up charges against Comrade Daniel Aborishade and the TASCE five, and stop all forms of vindictive acts, witch hunting, arrest, intimidations, harassment, assaults, victimizations of workers and labour activists.
  2. Reverse the suspension of Miss Temipote Oluwatosin Ogunfeibo and others. Reverse all politically motivated dismissal, removal, demotion, redeployment and transfers.
  3. Reinstate Coalition of Tai Solarin College Staff. For the right to independent and mass-based unionism
  4. Payment of over sixty (60) months of salary arrears, remittance of pension fund deductions and cooperatives.
  5. Regular and constant payment of 100% salary to TASCE staff and the payment of August, September , October and December 2019 salaries owed by Prince Dr. Dapo Abiodun administration, including the 50% of April, May, June and July and November without delay.
  6. Democratic management of the college administration to include the elected representatives of workers and students to ensure judicious use of the resources of the college.