Lagos doctors: ASUU may embark on sympathy strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), on Monday, called for the implementation of the agreement entered into with the medical doctors by the Lagos State government failure of which the university lecturers would be forced to embark on strike in sympathy with the doctors.ASUU national president, Professor Ukachuckwu Awuzie, while addressing newsmen in Ibadan, Oyo State, said if the state government failed to listen to the voice of reason by implementing the agreement reached with the doctors, the union would, at its national executive meeting slated for June 1, call on university teachers to down tools.Awuzie, who likened the action of Governor Babatunde Fashola to the leadership style of past military regimes in the country said, 'this is a demonstration of arbitrariness and lawlessness, disrespect for workers, including professionals,'adding that there was evidence that the state government actually signed an agreement with the doctors, that it 'will implement a mutually agreeable wage review which will not put the doctors in Lagos State at a comparative disadvantage to their counterparts in other health institutions.'According to him, the state government, in a letter dated November 19, 2010 and signed by the Head of Service, Lagos State, Mr Adesegun Ogunlewe, had agreed that the implementation 'in full (no compression)' of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) would take effect from January 2011, but with the government's failure to honour the agreement, the doctors embarked on the strike.
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