The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has postponed its planned nationwide strike, giving the federal government a window to address critical issues in the sector.
ASUP issued a statement over the weekend through its National President, Comrade Kpanja Shammah, calling on the government to fulfill its commitments or risk a complete service withdrawal by polytechnic lecturers.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that ASUP had initially set a 15-day ultimatum on October 7, following a review at its 111th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.
The union’s demands focus on eleven key issues, including welfare improvements for academic staff, infrastructure revitalization, adherence to statutory academic procedures, and the fulfillment of outstanding salary arrears.
In response to ASUP’s ultimatum, the Federal Ministry of Education convened a stakeholders’ meeting on October 23 to address the grievances.
The meeting, attended by ASUP representatives and government officials, resulted in a detailed action plan aimed at resolving the union’s concerns.
Among the issues discussed were the abuse of governing laws by certain polytechnic councils, interference by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) in academic decisions, delays in implementing promotions and salary reviews, and outstanding payments from the 2023 salary adjustments.
ASUP’s NEC held an emergency session on October 24 to evaluate the outcomes of this meeting and decided to delay the strike until December 2, 2024. The union urged the government to take this period seriously, emphasizing that it expects visible progress on each demand.
“The Union anticipates the government will act in good faith, meeting each item outlined in the action plan, or face the consequences of a total service withdrawal by polytechnic staff across the country,” ASUP stated, also thanking media and stakeholders for their ongoing support.
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