ASUP issues one-month strike ultimatum

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has issued a one month ultimatum to government for resumption of strike action.

The union had suspended its industrial action which ran for 61 days in June 2021 after reaching an agreement with the government.

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Addressing journalists in Yola at the end of its 102nd National Executive Council meeting, ASUP’s national president, Anderson Uzeibe, said the decision became necessary after the government failed to implement important aspects of the memorandum of action signed with the union nine months ago.

According to Uzeibe, the government was yet to release the sum of N15 billion as the first tranche of the N800 billion revitalisation fund nine months after the approval by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Other issues include non payment of outstanding arrears of minimum wage, non release of reviewed normative instrument for institutions, management and accreditation, breach of the provisions of the Federal Polytechnic Act as amended in 2019 and delay in the appointment of rectors.

Uzeibe warned that so long as the government and other proprietors in the polytechnic system continue to violate laws and signed agreements, the union would not hesitate to down tool, saying industrial action had become the most potent way for workers to pressurise government.

“Following exhaustive deliberation, the union’s National Executive Council has resolved to give the government a further one month as an ultimatum to address the outstanding issues as listed or face a review of the suspended industrial action by our union,” he stated.

Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, have been on strike for over a month.

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) have also joined last Monday,  grounding academic activities in public universities as a result.

The unions have been at loggerheads with the federal government, accusing the government of failing to fulfil most of their demands.