Labour unions at the Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, Bayelsa State have threatened to embark on indefinite strike at the end of June, 2019 over decrease in workers’ salary in the institution.
The three staff unions operating in the polytechnic; Academic Staff Unions of Polytechnics (ASUP), Non Academic Staff Unions (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANP) issued the threat on Saturday while speaking with Journalists over the plight of workers in the institution.
The Chairman of NASU in the institution, Mr Nelson Ebimie, said that the workers were fully ready to embark on industrial action by ending of June if the decrease in salary is not corrected.
He said: “What you are seeing here today is a response to our pains and sufferings over the years. The three unions are here to chart the way forward, we have suffered since 2015. Today, we have resolved that if by the end of this month, June, we still experience the shortfalls in our salaries, there will be a total shutdown of the system; that is indefinite strike action.
“The strike will begin with a peaceful protest along the major highway of the East-West road, that links Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa states,” he said.
The ASUP chairman, Mr Adubazi Onimisi and his SSANP counterpart, Mr Charles Willabo, said that the industrial action is meant to drive home their demand.
They called on the federal government to facilitate a proper data capturing for the staff of the institution to resolve the matter and alleviate the suffering of workers.