RUGIPO Non-Academic Staff Union Embarks on Indefinite Strike

 By PS Lydia 

Members of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, have begun an indefinite strike action as of Monday, April 7, 2025. 

The Union executives were seen positioned at the main gate of the institution to enforce compliance with the directive, stopping fellow members from gaining access to the premises.

In an interview, the NASU branch chairman, Mr. Aro Julius Olugbenga, stated that the union’s leadership was acting based on orders from the national body, which mandated the closure of the institution’s gate and barred all NASU members from entering the campus.

Mr. Aro outlined several reasons behind the union’s decision, noting the non-payment of salaries for six months, the delay in implementing the new minimum wage which has already been adopted for state workers, and the lack of attention to staff promotions since 2020. 

He noted that the issues have collectively contributed to the institution’s decline when compared to its counterparts in Ondo State.

Also present at the protest was the chairman of the Joint Action Committee of Tertiary Institutions in Ondo State, Comrade Tayo ogungbeni who expressed solidarity with the striking workers. 

He remarked that “an injury to one is an injury to all,” and hinted that a peaceful protest involving all state-owned tertiary institutions might soon take place to demand better treatment for staff.

One NASU member who spoke anonymously confirmed that the strike action currently involves only NASU members. 

He added that academic activities and student affairs have not been disrupted, as other staff and students continue with their regular routines.