The National Industrial Court, Lagos Division, on Thursday ordered the striking staff unions of Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) to eschew violence and maintain peace.

The order will subsist, pending the determination of the motion on notice. The parties to the suit are the unions, the Lagos State Government, the Attorney-General of Lagos State and LASPOTECH. The dispute is over the implementation of the Consolidated Tertiary Institution Salary Structure (CONTISS 15).

The suit was filed by the local chapters of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP).

Justice E. A. Oji said the unionists must maintain peace since they have brought the matter to court for adjudication.

“The counter-claimants (the three unions) must maintain peace and respect the fact that they have brought their dispute to court.

“It is now ordered as follows: The counter-claimants are to maintain the peace and not to engage in actions that will obstruct the official activities of the third defendant (LASPOTECH) to the counter-claim pending the determination of the motion for interlocutory injunction.”

The motion will be heard on June 18.

Meanwhile, the polytechnic has apologised to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) over the molestation of two of the board’s officials by some non-teaching workers.

In a statement, the polytechnic’s Deputy Registrar, Information and Public Relations, Mr. Olanrewaju Kuye, said the matter was being handled by the Police, adding that culprits would be punished.