ASUP gives FG conditions to end strike

ASUP

ASUP gives FG conditions to end strike

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has given the Federal Government conditions to be met before it can suspend the ongoing strike in federal and state polytechnics.

The leadership of the union vowed to continue with the industrial action unless the government meets their demands.

Lecturers in public polytechnics nationwide last week embarked on a two-week warning strike to force the Federal Government to implement their numerous demands.

The National President of ASUP, Shammah Kpanja, told Sunday Sun that since the start of the industrial action, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment reached out to the union and fixed a meeting for Monday, December 9.

Kpanja disclosed that there were 11 issues in contention, one fully met and the second, partially implemented by government.

He said: “It is only remaining nine items. The strike is necessary because the Federal Government failed to implement our demands. The strike was forced on us.

“Reports from ASUP branches indicate appreciable compliance with the National Executive Council (NEC) directive for the warning strike.

“The only polytechnic not on strike is Federal Polytechnic, Nekede because the Governing Council violated the Polytechnics Act in the appointment of a new rector, which ASUP is contesting the selection exercise.”

According to him, the union would suspend the ongoing strike if the government meets the remaining nine demands, noting that was the mandate given for the ongoing strike.

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“We will go to the meeting with officials of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment with an open mind.

“The government team will tell us what they have done about the remaining nine demands. Afterwards we will call for a NEC meeting to deliberate on what the Federal Government brought to the negotiation table.

“After the two weeks warning strike and nothing happens, NEC will meet, give the government some time and after which we will go on total strike. Remember it is the government that forced the union into this strike. Our members are agitated over the unmet demands,” he stated.

Among the demands of the union include violation of the Federal Polytechnics Act, non-review of the contentious and suspended document, entitled: Schemes of Service for Polytechnics and Conditions of Service; non-release of the NEEDS Assessment intervention funds for 2023; usurpation of Academic Board function by NBTE on the admission of HND candidate; non-capturing of the Peculiar Academic Allowance of members for sustained payment in the planned post-IPPIS era.

Others are refusal of most state-owned polytechnics to implement the 35 per cent/25 per cent salary review for members and non-release of the arrears of same in federal polytechnics, non-release/resolution of the owed CONTISS 15 migration arrears to members in the lower cadre, non-conclusion of the FGN/ASUP 2010 agreement renegotiation process, non-conduct of promotion exercises in some state institutions and non-release of promotion arrears in both federal and state-owned institutions and the intimidation of elected union officials by the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede and the non-release of the appointment of rectors in Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Bonny Island, Federal Polytechnic, Oko and Federal Polytechnic, Ukana even though the processes have since been concluded.