No going back on our indefinite strike of Dec. 12, says ASUP

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) on Tuesday said there was no going back on its planned indefinite strike beginning on Dec. 12 in all the nation’s polytechnics.

Mr Usman Dutse, the National President of the union made the declaration in an interview in Lagos.

Dutse said that the strike became necessary following the failure of the Federal Government to implement the 2009 and 2017 agreements reached with the union.

According to him, we are commencing our strike tomorrow as scheduled. Everything is set and there is no going back.

“There is an invitation for a meeting on Dec. 17, but we will still commence our strike on Wednesday.

“I don’t know what will happen at the meeting or what they have decided, but until we meet with them, we cannot predict.

”I don’t know what they plan to present until we meet with them,“ he said.

Dutse said that the strike would be comprehensive and total, until all issues raised were adequately addressed by the government.

He said the union had issued a notice directing all members nationwide to comply and down tools by midnight of Dec.12.

The president said the union leaders would also send a reminder to all its branches, adding that there would be no academic activities in all the polytechnics until further notice.

Dutse said that the failure of the Federal Government and the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, to comply with the agreements reached with the union necessitated the strike.

He said the union had in 2009 signed an agreement with the government and also a Memorandum of Action in 2017, adding that none of the agreements had been implemented.

Speaking on the resolution reached at the union’s 93rd National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Yaba College of Technology, Lagos State on Nov. 29, Dutse said the strike was inevitable. He said the union had issued a notice directing all members nationwide to comply and down tools by midnight of Tuesday, Dec.12. He said that the union would also send a reminder to its branches on Wednesday.

He listed the 10 point demands of the union to include non-implementation of NEED ASSESSMENT reports of 2014 as agreed with the minister at the meeting of October 2017.

“They are lack of seriousness in the renegotiation in the union’s 2010 agreement; non-release of arrears of CONTISS 15 migration for the lower cadre; non-release of arrears of promotions and shortfalls in personnel releases as well as non-payment of allowances.

“Other agitations are non-payment of salaries in many state-owned polytechnics, non-payment of union check off dues, pension deductions and other statutory deductions from staff salaries to the appropriate bodies, continue victimisation of union officers,“ he said. (NAN)