ASUP ISSUES 21-DAY ULTIMATUM, THREATENS NATIONWIDE STRIKE

ASUP ISSUES 21-DAY ULTIMATUM, THREATENS NATIONWIDE STRIKE

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has threatened to embark on an indefinite strike if the Federal Government fails to meet its demands at the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum.

The ultimatum, issued after an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on August 14 in Abuja, was announced by the Zonal Coordinator of ASUP Zone B, Innocent Simji, during a press briefing in Bauchi on Friday.

Simji stressed that the union’s position is in line with the resolution of its national headquarters, lamenting that the government has continued to neglect key issues affecting the polytechnic sector.

Among the unresolved demands, he listed:

• Non-release of circulars by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission on peculiar academic allowances.

• Non-payment of arrears of the 25/35 per cent salary review and its non-implementation in state-owned polytechnics.

• Delay in granting a dual mandate structure to eliminate the dichotomy between polytechnic and university graduates.

• Non-release of approved needs assessment funds for infrastructure.

• Outsourcing of the National Board for Technical Education’s (NBTE) quality assurance mandate to unqualified vendors.

Other grievances include the non-establishment of a dedicated commission for polytechnics, non-release of promotion arrears, stalled renegotiation of the 2010 ASUP/FGN agreement, and refusal of some state governments to domesticate the Federal Polytechnics Act.

The union also frowned at the continued dichotomy against Higher National Diploma (HND) holders in public service, non-payment of CONTISS 15 arrears, militarisation of campuses, and alleged interference in union activities, particularly at the Federal Polytechnic Nekede.

“In view of these unresolved issues and the non-committal disposition of the Federal Ministry of Education to genuine dialogue, the Union’s NEC has resolved to issue a 21-day ultimatum. If nothing is done within this period, we will be forced to declare a trade dispute and withdraw the services of our members across all public polytechnics and monotechnics nationwide,” Simji warned.