Concerned members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo chapter, have raised strong objections to the alleged withholding of workers’ salaries by the institution’s management, describing the action as an “aberration of considerable magnitude.”
The group, in a statement issued by a faction identified as The Liberation Group, said the decision by the management to detain salaries during an ongoing industrial dispute raises serious legal, administrative and ethical concerns.
The statement argued that the development could further deepen tensions between workers and the institution’s leadership.
According to the group, the salaries in question had already been released by the Ondo State Government as part of the institution’s monthly subvention meant strictly for the payment of staff wages.
The workers insisted that withholding such funds after their release by the government is inconsistent with established labour relations practices.
From a legal standpoint, the concerned members noted that Nigerian labour jurisprudence recognises industrial actions, including strikes, as legitimate instruments of collective bargaining between employees and employers.
They argued that there is no legal provision empowering an institution’s management to arbitrarily detain funds appropriated for workers’ remuneration.
They further explained that laws guiding labour relations in the country, including the Labour Act of Nigeria, Trade Union Act of Nigeria and the Trade Disputes Act of Nigeria, clearly outline mechanisms for resolving industrial disputes through negotiation, mediation, arbitration and adjudication rather than administrative sanctions.
The workers also raised administrative concerns, stressing that in the public sector, funds released as subvention for salaries are usually earmarked exclusively for that purpose. They maintained that management only serves as a disbursing authority and not the ultimate owner of such funds.
The group therefore argued that the alleged withholding of salaries under the leadership of the institution’s management could raise questions about administrative propriety and possible misapplication of public funds.
According to them, such an action may be interpreted as an abuse of power within the framework of public service financial regulations.
On industrial relations, the concerned members warned that punitive administrative measures during labour disputes often aggravate tensions rather than resolve them.
They noted that withholding salaries could transform a negotiable disagreement into a wider institutional crisis affecting governance and stability.
While acknowledging that the principle of “No work, No pay” exists in labour relations, the group emphasised that its application must be guided by the law, administrative fairness and good-faith negotiations between management and labour unions.
The statement concluded by urging the institution’s management to adopt dialogue and lawful dispute resolution mechanisms to address the matter, warning that actions capable of deepening industrial conflicts could further affect the stability and reputation of the polytechnic.
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