The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic, ASUP, says its members will go on strike next month unless the Federal Government meets its outstanding demands.
The Union at its 102nd National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in held Yola on Thursday, said its one-month ultimatum begins to count on Monday, April 4.
President of ASUP, Anderson Ezeibe, who recalled that ASUP had suspended its last strike action after the government committed itself to address its grievances, said it decided at the Thursday meeting to give the government a further one-month to respond.
The ASUP President said, “You may recall that our Union suspended a 61-day long industrial action on the 10th of June 2021 following the signing of an MOU with the government.
“The suspension period was to enable the government to conclude processes already initiated in the direction of the fulfilment of the terms of the memorandum of action.”
He enumerated certain critical aspects of the memorandum of action that remain unimplemented, including non-release of approved revitalization for the Polytechnic Sector, non-release of arrears of the new minimum wage in implementation since April 2019, and non-release of reviewed normative instruments for management and programme accreditation.
Others are infractions in implementation of the provisions of the Federal Polytechnics Act as amended in 2019, delay in appointment of rectors and non-release of the scheme of service for polytechnics.
The ASUP President concluded, “Following exhaustive deliberations on the issues raised above, the 102nd of the unions National Executive Council has resolved to give the Federal Government a further one month as an ultimatum to address the outstanding issues.
“Our union’s National Executive Council shall be reconvening after the one month period which takes effect from 4th April 2022 for further decisions on this subject.”
