LABOUR ASUP warns of impending industrial dispute

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) is threatening to call out its member on strike over staffing and salary matters. It warned the federal government that it should address the shortfall in personnel in Polytechnics as the members are running out of patience and cannot guarantee industrial peace in the Polytechnics nationwide.

National President of ASUP, Comrade Usman Dutse in an interview in Abuja weekend, said ASUP members cannot longer bear the hardship brought to them by government as a result of receiving salaries in fraction since last year.

Dutse said government had promised to address the challenges which started since January 2016 till date, but instead the situation is getting worse with an increment in the quantum of cut.

According to him, the union would be having its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting third week of March to deliberate on the way forward.

“Apart from the outstanding challenge we have with government, there are new development that cropped up last year. This is the issue of shortfall in personnel, from January 2016 we started observing shortfall in our personnel which led to our members collecting a fraction of their salaries with the promises that it would be ratified. “They told us by January this year the matter would be resolved, but it does not change, but in February we were told the situation is getting worse because the quantum of the cut has increased significantly and it would create more hardship and sufferings for our members. “Anytime we start agitation they will talk about no work, no pay. So, we want to assure them that if they continue cutting our salaries, we too will cut our services because for every services we render, we deserve to be compensated.’’

On the payment of the backlog owed the workers, Dutse lamented that despite renewed promises by government to pay when approval is made on the virement, nothing has been done till date.