By Chinyere Anyanwu
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has threatened a nationwide withdrawal of its members’ services across public polytechnics and monotechnics if its demands are not met within the window of the 21-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government last week.
The union made this known at a press conference in Lagos at the Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech), yesterday.
In a statement signed by its National President, Shammah Kpanja, the union lamented, “the non-committal disposition of the FME (Federal Ministry of Education) in committing to genuine dialogue and lack of will to execute reached resolutions”, warning that “failure of government to utilise the window of the 21-day ultimatum to address the issues satisfactorily may lead to the declaration of a trade dispute and withdrawal of services of our members.”
Issues necessitating the union’s issuance of the 21-day ultimatum, which will terminate in two weeks’ time, and its impending industrial action, in the face of government’s failure to comply, include the non-release of circular by the National Salaries and Wages Commission (NSIWC); non-release of arreas of the 25/35 per cent salary review/non-implementation of same in state-owned polytechnics, and delay in granting a dual mandate structure for polytechnics.
The statement noted that the sustenance of the peculiar academic allowance paid to academic staff across polytechnics, a component of the ASUP/FG 2010 agreement, was being threatened by the non-release of the requisite circular by NSIWC to enable budgetary provisions in that regard.
It said, “currently, the allowance has been removed from the budgetting template and the FME has failed to intervene in definite terms on this subject.
“The government is yet to release the funds required for the payment of the arrears of the 25/35 per cent salary review. The arrears cover a 12-month period and is captured in the budget but yet to be released for reasons beyond the comprehension of our union and her members.
“The continued delay and non-approval of a dual mandate structure aimed at eliminating the age-long discrimination against HND holders has continued to facilitate discrimination against polytechnic education and her products.”
Other issues listed by the union are: non-release of second round of NEEDS Assessment intervention; policy on outsourcing of quality assurance activities in polytechnics; refusal to implement sectoral components on the approved roadmap of the FME as it affects setting up of a dedicated commission for the sector; non-release of promotion arrears/non-implementation of promotion in many state-owned institutions; renegotiation of ASUP/FGN 2010 agreement; refusal to domesticate relevant portions of the Federal Polytechnics Act by state-owned polytechnics.”
The statement further listed the following as issues informing the union’s grouse with government: sustained dichotomy against HND holders in public service; stalled discussions on the release of CONTISS 15 arrears; militarisation of campus and undue continued intrusion in the activities of ASUP in Federal Polytechnic Nekede, and refusal to convene the FME/ASUP Rapid Response meetings.
