On Tuesday, 7th of May, 2019, the management of LASPOTECH organized a seminar for a section of the workers of the institution. They were not only directed to switch off their phones, but in an unruly manner, these were seized from them.
This is obviously a continuation of management attacks on workers because even during examinations in the school, students are not instructed to submit phones. This method of the management shares similarity with what police officers would do to detainees behind bars. Flowing from that it will not be a mistake to call the management approach as both reactionary and repressive.
We must remember that the workers of this institution have been waging series of struggles and fight backs against the anti-workers administration of the management under the leadership of the rector Mr Samuel Sogunro. The three workers’ unions in the institution have united and been fighting around some basic demands such as:No to reversal of NBTE salary scheme an demand for payment of all arrears and shortfalls, Reinstatement of dismissed union leaders and members, No yo victimization of union leaders, and improved funding to LASPOTECH among others.
Also some of the actions of the workers were captured in the May/June edition of Socialist Workers in the “LASPOTECH Workers Protest Arrests and Victimization of Leaders”.
The workers have resolved and are determined to fight on until the interests of the workers and students are secured and more importantly increased and adequate funding is provided for the institution. With the failure of the school management to break the workers’ barricade they have resolves to intimidation and state repression of the workers.
At the seminar where the management intimidated the workers to release their mobile phones a woman whom is also a worker stood against the uncourteous and uncivilized method of the management. She resisted such approach and questioned the logic behind such action. Immediately the management ushered in security to further harass her and repress her demand for sanity.
Management claims that the woman attempted to disrupt the seminar, without putting things in context.
Socialist Workers and Youth League ( SWL ), hereby condemns the management’s actions and demands that management desists from such action. Also we further, assure the LASPOTECH workers of our undaunting solidarity and support until uhuru. And we thereby remind the workers and the unions to be steadfast and undeterred because freedom cometh only by struggle.
Workers and Youth. … Unite and Fight!!!
Lai Brown
For: Lagos SWL.
