92 workers of the Academy of Music in Lagos have wages in arrears since June, but the blame, the association's management defends, lies with a group of «unionized teachers» who «promoted lawsuits of substantial value» against the institution.
The situation was denounced by the union delegate of the Union of Teachers of the South Zone (SPZS) of the Academy of Music of Lagos who, in a statement sent to the newsrooms, says that around 80 workers "are currently going through a complicated situation, as the association does not paid to date the salaries for the month of June and the holiday allowance'.
For the union, this delay comes to "aggravate the situation of instability with which the institution's workers had to live throughout the current school year, in which they did not know when and if they would receive their wages."
According to the union members, “the management limited itself to sending an email to the workers, in which they sought to blame a group of teachers, members of this union commission, for this delay, who were forced to appeal to the Authority for Working Conditions and later to the Court in the defense of legality and their labor rights».
The Union says that workers were «confronted, from 2013, with illegalities in the payment of wages, illegal dismissals, extinction of illegal jobs, threats of collective dismissals, unilateral changes in working hours and places during the school years , unilateral changes to employment contracts, serious situations of moral harassment, teachers working with supposed contracts for the provision of services on a voluntary basis, among many other situations of serious violation of labor legislation».
The union members also complain about the lack of answers regarding the association's indebtedness, adding that the direction "attributes the blame to workers who resorted to administrative and judicial means, to defend their labor rights and those of their colleagues".
The SPZS communiqué asks for clarification on the reasons why the association adhered to the “Special Plan for the Reduction of Indebtedness to the State (PERES), and what is the impact of this indebtedness on the association's financial situation”.
In addition, unionists say that the Academy of Music of Lagos does not clarify why "the association has been the target of several processes by State and Judicial Entities", such as "inspection processes of the Ministry of Education", "regular actions inspection by the Authority for Working Conditions during the last two school years", "inspection processes by the Social Security and Finance" and "Judicial Police searches in December 2016, at the association's headquarters in Lagos" .
The workers also ask that the Academy of Music of Lagos provide clarification on the processes that "run in the Public Prosecutor's Office against the association, which have led to the call of workers (even professors and employees who are no longer part of the institution's staff). ), to make statements to the Judiciary Police'.
The Trade Union Commission says that, «since 2013, we have sought to dialogue with the management bodies of the Academy to solve the labor problems that affect all workers in the association, but unfortunately the response from the management to these requests has been silence, to allege with the associates and guardians of the institution that the true intention of these teachers is to lead to
an “intentona” with a view to taking power and destroying the association, and worsening the working conditions of teachers associated with the SPZS».
For the union, there is "no other way than resorting to administrative and judicial means, to defend their labor rights and those of their colleagues".
In response to a request for clarification made by the Sul Informação, the gym of Música de Lagos, chaired by José Viegas Gonçalves, confirms «the wages in arrears since June» of 92 employees.
However, the direction of the Academy says it has no response "to this Union, as it is not part of the unions that signed the collective labor contract", adding that "it only has six unionized workers in the SPZS of Fenprof".
According to the Academy of Music of Lagos, «the action taken by the unionized teachers in that Union are at the heart of the problem, as they promoted substantial lawsuits for alleged harassment (150 thousand euros), for alleged debts that have already been reconverted in headquarters of court for termination of employment contract without prior notice, and other similar cases that have weighed on the assessment of funding to cover treasury needs and which, due to the parity program, contributed negatively to the financial recovery».
The Academy also says that "the action in progress is part of a purpose announced by the representatives of Fenprof, to "set the AML on fire", this, stated during a visit to these facilities by their representatives and before witnesses, after having been invited to leave the premises'.
According to the association, "the instability caused by SPZS followers has been constant for about three years", even guaranteeing that they enjoy "the solidarity and understanding of all workers, with the exception of this half dozen".
The association, which owns the Academy of Music in Lagos and Conservatories of Music in Portimão, Lagoa and Loulé, says it continues to «do everything to regularize its financial situation, using our debtors to fulfill their obligations and settle their debts. that they have for us and requesting some loans with the personal endorsement of the chairman of the board, as has been normally invested in other banking operations».
To pay off debts, the Lagos Music Academy said, «we are looking to sell a Premium Hostel with an integrated catering area already completed and awaiting equipment and furniture, with 35 rooms and capacity for 106 people, plus a café -concert and laundry located in Portimão that incorporates the city's historic wall».
The Union, by the way, emphasizes that the construction of this Hostel, which should have already started operating, was yet another fuel for the difficult financial situation of the Academy of Music of Lagos.
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