The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has said that it would sustain the 17-day-old strike until federal government commences implementation of some of the offers it has made.
Addressing journalists yesterday at the headquarters of the union in Abuja, ASUP President, Anderson Ezeibe, said though a number of offers had been made by the federal government the union wants to see concrete evidence of its seriousness to implement them.
“For instance, we will like to see that N25 billion offered as revitalisation fund released to the institutions and we will also like to also see action in the payment of our arrears of minimum wage,” he said.
Speaking on the progress made in negotiations with the government, Ezeibe said that stalled staff appraisal could now be concluded, principal officers on the institutions can also be appointed
In the same vein, he said the government had inaugurated visitation panels while a substantive Executive Secretary had been appointed for the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
Other offers made to ASUP members, pledge to release N15 billion revitalisation fund for the development of school infrastructure, payment of 10 months arrears of minimum wage, reconstitution of renegotiation committee of 2010 agreement reached between the union and government, implementation of the approved 65 years retirement age for the sector and the implementation of the approved salary structure for the Polytechnic staff.
Ezeibe said the offers also include the restoration of Rapid Response Committee between the union and Federal Ministry of Education to help monitor and resolve issues of industrial dispute in the sector.
With regards to the disagreement over the appointment of governing boards for Polytechnics and Colleges of Education, the union said that no resolution had been reached on the matter.
“Following the consideration of offers as presented, the National Executive Committee (NEC), our union resolved to sustain the strike action until the unresolved details in the offer are sorted in the meeting expected in the coming days,” he said.
He added that NEC resolved that Nasarawa, Benue, Abia, Edo, and Kaduna state governments should equally be encouraged to engage representatives of the unions on the issue of salaries owed them and non-implementation of promotions in the affected Institutions.
