ASUP backtracks, postpones planned nationwide strike till December 2

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) says it has resolved to defer its planned nationwide strike to the December 2, to allow the Federal Government to meet its demands.

Mr Kpanja Shammah, National President of ASUP said this in a statement at the end of the union’s emergency National Executive Council (NEC), on Saturday in Abuja.

NewsWireNGR reports that the union had on October 7 issued a 15-days ultimatum to the federal government to meet its demands.

The demands included the alleged interference of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) in the statutory duties of Academic Boards regarding the admission of HND students,.

Others were the need for infrastructure revitalisation through the NEEDS ASSESSMENT intervention, implementation of promotions in state institutions, the payment of all outstanding promotion arrears.

There was also the settlement of pending arrears from 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary review for the period of January 2023 to December 2023 in Federal Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology.

According to Shammah, following the ultimatum, a resolution meeting of all stakeholders in the sector was convened by the Federal Ministry of Education.

He said that the meeting was convened with a view to resolving the contentious issues on October 23.

“Resolutions and an action plan were developed during the meeting to resolve the issues.

“The union’s NEC, therefore, met again on an emergency note on the October 24 to review the action plan as proposed in the meeting with the stakeholders.

“After exhaustive deliberations, the union resolved to defer its proposed industrial action to the December 2.

“The decision was taken to gauge the government’s commitment to implementing the action plan as agreed at the meeting of October 23,”he said.

He said that it was the expectation of ASUP that government would take advantage of the period to show commitment by diligently executing the action plan on each of the eleven items in dispute.