The National president of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) Usman Dutse, has said that the strike became necessary following the failure of the federal government to implement the 2009 and 2017 agreements reached with the union.
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) began its indefinite nationwide strike Wednesday.
“We are commencing our strike today as scheduled. Everything is set and there is no going back.
“There is an invitation for a meeting on December 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,” Dutse told NAN.
Dutse said the strike would be comprehensive and total, until all issues raised were adequately addressed by the federal government.
The 10-point demands of ASUP which he listed include non-implementation of NEED ASSESSMENT reports of 2014, as agreed with the minister at the meeting of October 2017.
“They lack 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,” Dutse said.
