The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) will on Monday, January 30, begin a one week warning strike to protest government refusal to honour its agreement with the union and fund the polytechnic sector.
National President of the Union, Comrade Usman Dutse said the union’s one month ultimatum to government expired in December 2016 without any visible sign of government willingness to meet the demands of the union, leaving them with no choice than to embark on a warning strike.
Dutse said in a statement after an emergency National Executive Council meeting of the union in Abuja that the union had earlier given the government an ultimatum in July 2016, but decide to stay action on its proposed strike because of appeal from the government and renewed the ultimatum in November, 2016.
He said despite the magnanimity of the union, the government failed to address the issues raised by the union, which include the non implementation of the NEEDS assessment reports, poor funding of public polytechnics, deliberate attempt to frustrate the resolution of the meeting of the council on establishment in July 2016 and victimisation of union members as well as interference in union activities.
Other issues include Non release of CONTISS 15 migration arrears, non release of visitation panel reports of federal polytechnic as well as non release of ministerial panel to federal polytechnic a in Auchi, Oko, Yaba and Ado Ekiti, delay in the review of the federal polytechnic act, non commencement of renegotiation of ASUP/government agreement of 2010 and government’s tardiness in the appointment of Rectors of Federal polytechnics.
He said that there was no attempt by the government to improve the funding of public polytechnics in the country as the 2017 budget currently before the National Assembly does not have any provision to that effect.
He said further that there were attempts to frustrate the decision taken at the National Council on Establishment held in Minna in 2016 directing the removal of the age long entry level dichotomy against HND holders, while no further step has been taken on the issue.
He also accused the government of not showing any interest in amending the Federal Polytechnic Act, adding that the bill amending the act currently before the National Assembly was the effort of a private member.
He also said that the government has not demonstrated any verifiable interest in renegotiating its 2010 agreement with the union, adding that the Babalakin Committee set up by the government was only meant for the universities, since nobody from the Polytechnic sector is a member of the committee.
He said: “we are told that the committee to negotiate with the Polytechnic unions has been set up, but its membership is yet to be announced and inaugurated. Babalakin may also head that committee, but let me say that we are not part of the committee that has been announced because you cannot negotiate what you don’t
