LABOUR ASUP threatens strike over owed allowances
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has threatened to resume its suspended industrial action that lasted 11 months over victimisation of its members, interference in union activities and nonpayment of allowances by government.
National President of ASUP, Comrade Usman Y. Dutse, who spoke with journalists in Abuja weekend, also disclosed that an emergency meeting of an organ of the union was summoned for 24 and 25 January, to deliberate on the next line of action.
Comrade Dutse who said an ultimatum issued by the union for government to address the issues in December, has since expired, lamented the neglect of the polytechnic sub-sector by government.
He said technical and vocational education has be the option to the diversification move the federal government is making, stressing that without proper funding and attention given to the sub-sector, it will be difficult to achieve such a plan.
“We gave government an ultimatum in December last year over pending issues in the polytechnic, and the ultimatum elapsed last week. Though government invited us for meetings, and that is ongoing, we have also summoned a meeting of our organ, the National Executive Council (NEC) between 24-25 January 2017 to deliberate on the challenges and also our meeting with the government so as to decide on the next line of action,” he said.
According to him, the contentious issues are the shortfall in personnel, non-payment of academic allowances, needs assessment, review of the Polytechnic Act, dichotomy between HND and BSc, interference in union activities by some rectors of Federal Polytechnics, promotion arrears, nonappointment of boards of Federal Polytechnics, and non-implementation and arrears of CONTISS 15.
“We are talking about diversifying, you need education to innovate, create before you can diversify. We also believe technical and vocational education is the best tool to achieve this, considering that it is capital intensive, government must fund the sector properly so as to develop the facilities and infrastructures so that our youth can acquire adequate and relevant skills to help emancipate the economy from the present crisis,” he said.
Recall that the union in 2014 embarked on an industrial action over similar issues that disrupted academic activities in polytechnics in Nigeria for 11 months.