ASUP to commence nationwide strike, starting April 6

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has declared that it will begin a nationwide strike starting from April 6, 2021 in all the country’s polytechnics.

ASUP disclosed that the strike is over the alleged “culture of neglect by the government on issues affecting the technological education sub sector.”

The union further recommended the governing councils reconstitution instantly for federal and state-owned polytechnics and full execution of the provisions of the Federal Polytechnics Act and also its domestication in Adamawa, Sokoto, Niger and other defiant states.

According to a statement by the ASUP President, Mr Anderson Ezeibe, on Friday, at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the union which took place in Katsina, disclosed that the strike became necessary because the government failed to carry out the agreements reached with the union.

ASUP President, Anderson Ezeibe

Ezeibe itemised the issues in dispute which consist of failure to implement the 2014 NEEDS Assessment Report on government-owned polytechnics and the non-implementation of 65 years retirement age for academic staff in some state-owned polytechnics.

As indicated by him, other outstanding issues comprised the non-payment of promotion arrears in federal polytechnics and non-payment of yearly increases in some states of the federation.

He said, “In view of the unresolved issues in our previous communications and after extensive deliberations, the union resolved to withdraw the services of its members across the nation in a comprehensive industrial action from the 6th of April, 2021.

“The industrial action is to draw the attention of the government on the need to release the 10 months arrears of the new minimum wage owed our members in federal polytechnics and the implementation of same in states yet to implement the new minimum wage.

“Release owned staff salaries in Abia, Ogun, Osun, Benue, Plateau, Edo and Cross Rives States and implement full salary payments in Sokoto, Kaduna, Adamawa and other institutions with such reports.”

The ASUP President advised government to, as an urgent matter, withdraw what he labelled a letter containing false, disjointed and unconfirmed claims of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) tax liabilities in 19 federal polytechnics across the nation.