ASUP suspends strike

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has suspended the nationwide strike by its members over failure of government to meet their demands.

The National chairman of the union, Usman Dutse, disclosed this yesterday at a press briefing in Bauchi. The briefing was part of the ASUP 14th Delegates Conference activities being held in Bauchi.

He said that the union decided to suspend the strike after reaching an agreement and signing a Memorandum of Settlement and Action (MoS) with the Federal Government.

He said the union had engaged in a series of meetings with the Minister of Education as well as officials of the Ministry of Labour, National Salaries and Wages Commission, Budget office of the Federation, Office of Head of Service and office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. “Following these meetings, a Memorandum of Settlements and action (MoS) was agreed to by the government and the union on each of the issues in dispute,” he said.

It could be recalled that members of ASUP started the nationwide strike on 13th November, 2017.

Dutse reiterated that the MoS was signed by both government and the union to resolve the issues at stake.

He said, “While we are not unaware of the government over the years to willfully renege on agreements of this nature with labour unions including ours, it is the considered view of our union that the contents of this MoS be given a chance of implementation particularly as there is a mechanism for monitoring and evaluation embedded in it.

“Our union’s congress has been fully briefed on these developments and I am therefore to communicate the decision of our union to suspend the 15-dayold strike of our union effective Wednesday 28th November,2017.”

He said that in deciding to suspend the strike, the union considered its impact on parents and students, and pleas on the union by wellmeaning Nigerians.

“We want to assure the public that our struggle shall continue to be focused on the survival of this vital sector,” he said.