The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) is set to embark on an indefinite strike with effect from Monday, November 13.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja Monday, after the union’s emergency National Executive Council Meeting, ASUP President Usman Dutse regretted the nonchalant manner successive administrations had treated polytechnic education in the country.
He said the union would sustain the strike until the demands of the union are met or an implementable memorandum of action was agreed on.
“Our union is constrained to lament that our sector is on the verge of collapse and needs all the emergency attention it urgently deserves.”
Issues ASUP want resolved include NEEDS Assessment for federal and state polytechnics at N652, 591, 478, 614 billion, Consolidated Tertiary Institution Salary Scale (CONTISS 15) N20billion and short fall in salaries as at December 2016 N2, 637, 161,000billion and earned academic allowance N3, 221,487,017billion;
Poor funding of public polytechnics as reflected in the unimplemented capital grants, withdrawals of allowances since 2016, shortfalls in personnel allocations as well as non funding of promotion exercises;
Dichotomy against HND holders, victimization of union officials, non release of check off dues, interference in union activities, non release of CONTISS 15 migration arrears, non release of visitation panel reports, delay in review of the Federal Polytechnics Act, non commencement of renegotiation of ASUP/FG agreement of 2010 and tardiness in appointment of rectors of federal polytechnics.
The union therefore, appealed to well meaning Nigerians to prevail on the government to do the needful and avoid the looming total shutdown of the sector.