ASUU threatens strike over illegal pension, tax deduction

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) University of Ibadan chapter has threatened to embark on industrial action over illegal pension and tax deductions by the institution’s authority.

The union said its members would embark on labour unrest should the management failed to reverse what it called “unpopular upward review of pension deductable from salaries and an increase in tax regime.”

ASUU in a letter entitled “Illegal pension deductions and Tax Regime” signed by its Chairman, Dr Deji Omole and addressed to the Pro-chancellor/Chairman of council, noted that it was worrisome that the “retrogressive changes which have been communicated to Finance Officers of Faculties and College of Medicine were done without consultation or any form of input from the staff unions particularly given that no change in the extant legislation governing pensions and tax administration has been effected.”

According to ASUU, the congress of the union frowned at the development and asked the that the University administration should cause a reversal of all actions taken on this matter and or others that it plans to take.

It added that a failure “to cause a reversal of this unpopular and condemnable action shall be seen as an invitation to anarchy and labour unrest on campus.”

It said that the action of the administration, in view of its lack of compliance with the law and due process was null, void and of no effect.While calling for the intervention of the Pro-chancellor, ASUU noted that the purported action of the administration was nothing but an affront and an infraction of the law governing pension administration.

Meanwhile, ASUU has called on the University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Idowu Olayinka to commence immediate payment of promotion arrears of her members with some accumulating since 2010.

The letter jointly signed by the Chairman and Secretary, Drs Deji Omole and Peter Olapegba respectively noted that “Congress noted that its members whose promotions were announced since 2015 (with retroactive effect from 2010, 2011, 2012 etc.) have not been paid their promotion arrears.

This situation, it said was not “acceptable to the Union and it’s seen as a compromise of members’ welfare which the Union exists to protect.”

The Union requested that the university administration commences the payment of promotion arrears of her members immediately failure which the Union might be forced to declare an industrial dispute.