ASUP To Embark On Indefinite Strike On Monday (Nov 13)

 

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has completed plans to embark on an indefinite strike with effect from Monday, November 13, 2017.

ChannelsTV reports that the decision was reached at the end of the National Executive Council meeting of ASUP held on Saturday at the Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna State.

The union said that the industrial action came on the back of the failure of the Federal Government to implement all the agreements it entered with the union since 2016.

ASUP further lamented that despite the long period given to the government to address some of the issues it raised, the government did not consider it necessary to address the demands for improved funding of polytechnic education in the country.

Speaking with pressmen shortly after the emergency meeting which lasted for several hours, ASUP President, Usman Dutse, and Zone A Coordinator, Kabiru Yunusa, who noted that the union had given government sufficient time to implement all agreements, said they had no choice than to embark on an indefinite strike after the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum issued earlier.

According to him, some of the demands include non-implementation of the NEEDS Assessment Report and shortfalls in personnel releases and withdrawal of allowances.

Others are non-passage of the amended bill of the Polytechnic Act, infractions in the appointment of rectors, as well as improving the conditions of state-owned institutions among other issues.

    “The tepid response of government to the nine items identified as having debilitating effects on the health of the sector led the union into declaring one week strike in February 2017,” Dutse said.

    “The strike, which recorded a very impressive compliance level, had immediate gains in the reconstruction of the governing councils of all Federal Polytechnics, as well as the constitution, inauguration, and commencement of the renegotiation of the union’s 2010 agreement with the government.

    “Comrades, the 89th meeting of NEC of our union issued a 21-day ultimatum effective October 9, 2017 to the government (after collation of results of referendum from chapters) to address these issues satisfactorily.

    “On October 24, a reconciliation meeting was convened by the Federal Ministry of Labour in Abuja. The ministry in the eye of the storm, the Federal Ministry of Education, was poorly represented that no memorandum of action was agreed on. This clearly shows the level of disdain and disrespect with which the issues of the sector are being handled by the relevant agencies.

    “In view of the above, our union resolved in its emergency meeting of NEC on October 31, 2017 to commence an indefinite and comprehensive strike effective from November 13, 2017,” he added.

The news comes barely a day after lecturers in Colleges of Education under the auspices of Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) also threatened to embark on an indefinite strike.

360nobs had learnt that academic activities across Nigerian Universities may soon paralyze as the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is planning to hold its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.

This is just as three non-academic unions in the university have also declared their interest for a fresh strike over the non-implementation of agreements reached with the Federal Government.

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) are slated to meet next Tuesday to pick a date for the industrial action.