The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has threatened to begin an indefinite strike from Wednesday, December 12 to press home the demands of its members.
ASUP had, in November 2017, gone on strike, but had to call it off 15 days after the union and the Federal government reached an agreement.
National President of ASUP, Usman Dutse said on Tuesday the strike had become necessary because the Federal Government had failed to meet the demands of the polytechnic lecturers.
Already, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, is continuing strike for about one month, though negotiations between the union and the government had on more than three occasions hit a deadlock.
Prior to the ASUP impending strike, the union had on October 2 issued a 21-day ultimatum to the government before it extended it to November but did not eventually go strike.
However, Mr Dutse said that the proposed strike later this December would be total and indefinite. This further emphasises the resolution of the 93rd National Executive Council meeting reached at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos last week.
“Government has failed to implement and fulfil agreements it reached with the union as contained in the memorandum of understanding signed,” he said.
Dutse also gave other reasons too for its decision to embark on a fresh indefinite strike action.
“The issue of the funding of the institutions has always been a major concern. After government conducted the NEEDS assessment in 2014, it promised to implement it. Years after, there is no designed roadmap to implement that.”
“The institutions are not funded. The states are even worse because state governments just establish schools without actually funding those schools. So, no infrastructure is in place,” he added.
“We have states that are owing about 14 month salaries. Some owe eight months,” he said.
Dutse also expressed hope that the planned strike would make government take action on improving the condition of service and the payment of additional allowances to polytechnic lecturers.
