ASUP Declares Seven-day Nationwide Warning Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) has declared a seven-day nationwide warning strike beginning from April 22, 2013, following the refusal of government to address the union’s grievances.
ASUP said at the end of the warning strike, if the issues raised were not satisfactorily addressed, it would be followed by an indefinite strike.
In a communiqué issued after an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of ASUP held in Abuja ASUP listed its unresolved issues to include: non-constitution of governing councils for polytechnics, monotechnics, and colleges of technology; non-release of government white paper of the visitation panels to the federal polytechnics; and non-commencement of the NEED Assessments of the Nigerian polytechnics.
Other grievances, according to the communiqué, are the worrisome states of the state government-owned polytechnics, monotechnics, and colleges of technology across the country; the continued appointment of unqualified persons as Rectors and Provosts by some state governments in their polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of technology; and the failure of most state governments to implement the approved salary package (CONPCASS) and the 65-year retirement age in their polytechnics.
The union said it was also worried by the continued appointment of principals on acting positions in some polytechnics and monotechnics and colleges of technology beyond the approved periods; the insistence of the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation on the implementation of the IPPIS module in the polytechnic sector; the continued delay in the amendment of the Polytechnics’ Act;  the review of the polytechnics’ scheme of service; and the non-commencement of the re-negotiation of the federal government/ASUP agreement as contained in the signed agreement.
The union added that NEC, having painstakingly examined these issues, and against the evident inaction of the government despite the union’s consistent show of maturity through the adoption of the path of peace and dialogue, has accordingly resolved to embark on a seven-day warning strike with effect from April 22, 2013 and an indefinite strike action thereafter if the issues raised above are not satisfactorily addressed.”