Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, Zone D, has again threatened to embark on a nationwide indefinite strike action if the federal and state governments fail to address its grievances at the expiration
of its one month ultimatum on August 21.
The union said the planned strike will be the second since 2014, insisting that the federal and state governments must resolve its 13-point demands which led to a nine-month strike between October 2013 and July 2014.
While addressing journalists yesterday in Owerri after an emergency executive meeting of the zone, the union said the action is intended to remedy the rot afflicting polytechnic/monotechnic sector.
Coordinator of ASUP, Zone D, comprising polytechnics, colleges of technology and monotechnics in the South-South and South-East geopolitical zones, Comrade Nelson Chika Ogonwa of the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwuashi-Uku, enumerated the issues in dispute to include non-implementation of the NEEDS Assessment report of 2014, non-payment of salaries in many state owned institutions and shortfall in personnel allocations to polytechnics.
Also listed by Ogonwa was the issue of unpaid allowances in federal polytechnics since January, victimisation of ASUP officials by rectors, non-release of check-off dues, undue interference in union activities, non-release of arrears in many public polytechnics with some dating back to 2012, as well as non-implementation of CONTISS 15 migration salary scale in many polytechnics, delay in the review of the Polytechnic Act in addition to non-release of visitation panel reports of federal polytechnics since 2011.
The coordinator disclosed that while some members of the union are owed salaries ranging from two to 10 months, “some polytechnics have earned an unwholesome reputation of breaching the boundaries of autonomy of the union, even as some officials are being suspended, sacked and hounded by some heads of these institutions.”
Ogonwa called on all well meaning Nigerians to prevail on government at the federal and state levels to comprehensively address these challenges for the betterment of future generations.
He maintained that the zone would not hesitate to mobilise all its members in the 11 states under its control to down tools as soon as government fails to attend to their demands before August 22.
