ASUP Faults FG Of Giving Unions ‘Incentive’ For Strike Action

The national leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has faulted the Nigerian government for partial implementation of resolutions upon which the union suspended its April 2010 strike.

ASUP National President, Anderson Uzeibe made the allegation at the opening ceremony of the 102 National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the Yola Campus of the Federal Polytechnic Mubi on Wednesday.

Uzeibe lamented the fact that after the union fulfilled its obligation by suspending the last year’s strike action by its members, the government failed to fully implement its part.

Criticising the response of the government to sign agreements, Uzeibe warned that serial default on the part of the government was tantamount to incentivising unions for industrial actions.

“In April last year, our union went on strike. Some of the issues included the non-constitution of governing councils of polytechnics.

Secondly, our agreement signed in 2010 was due to be renegotiated in 2015 according to the content of that agreement and in line with international labour law. That part agreement cut across funding for polytechnics, laws and status review and condition of service of our members.

“Unfortunately in 2015, there was no review. In 2018, the review process started and was truncated by the government. We went on strike because the NEEDS assessment report of 2013/2014 is yet to be implemented in any polytechnic and college of technology in Nigeria.

“We went on strike because our members were owed arrears of minimum wage across the federal polytechnics. We went on strike because in several states, our members under state institutions were not being paid salaries regularly and in places they were paid, they were not paid with appropriate salary scale structure,” he said.