The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) on Wednesday began an
indefinite strike over non-implementation of the 2009 and 2017 agreement
reached with the union by the federal government. The polytechnic
lecturers now join their university colleagues who have been on strike
since November 4. The National President of ASUP, Usman Dutse, said the
federal government had invited the union for dialogue on December 17 but
the strike would continue till then. Prior to the strike, the union
had on October 2 issued a 21-day ultimatum to the government before it
extended it to November. But even then, it did not commence the
strike. Dutse said the strike had commenced, adding that there is total
compliance by all chapters. “We have zonal coordinators and a
monitoring team, zone by zone, all over the country. Already from the
report we are getting, we are satisfied with the level of compliance
from all our zones but we are reviewing the day’s activity in a meeting
now,” he said.Dutse said the government has failed to implement and
fulfill agreements it reached with the union as contained in the
memorandum of understanding signed. The union went on strike over
non-implementation of the NEEDS Assessment report of 2014, non-payment
of salaries in state-owned institutions, non-payment of allowances, and
the victimisation of union members, among others. ASUP went on strike
in November 2017, but when the federal government reached an agreement
to implement the recommendations of the 2014 NEEDS assessment, the
strike was suspended 15 days after.Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics begin Indefinite strike
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) on Wednesday began an
indefinite strike over non-implementation of the 2009 and 2017 agreement
reached with the union by the federal government. The polytechnic
lecturers now join their university colleagues who have been on strike
since November 4. The National President of ASUP, Usman Dutse, said the
federal government had invited the union for dialogue on December 17 but
the strike would continue till then. Prior to the strike, the union
had on October 2 issued a 21-day ultimatum to the government before it
extended it to November. But even then, it did not commence the
strike. Dutse said the strike had commenced, adding that there is total
compliance by all chapters. “We have zonal coordinators and a
monitoring team, zone by zone, all over the country. Already from the
report we are getting, we are satisfied with the level of compliance
from all our zones but we are reviewing the day’s activity in a meeting
now,” he said.Dutse said the government has failed to implement and
fulfill agreements it reached with the union as contained in the
memorandum of understanding signed. The union went on strike over
non-implementation of the NEEDS Assessment report of 2014, non-payment
of salaries in state-owned institutions, non-payment of allowances, and
the victimisation of union members, among others. ASUP went on strike
in November 2017, but when the federal government reached an agreement
to implement the recommendations of the 2014 NEEDS assessment, the
strike was suspended 15 days after.
