Like ASUU, ASUP joins the fray, declare two weeks warning strike
By Mohammed Kaka Misau
For failure by the federal government to fulfill its obligations, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has declared a 2-week warning industrial action which will commence on May 16th, 2022.
The latest development which is coming barely 9 months after ASUP called off strike after reaching an agreement with the federal was contained in a statement released on Wednesday.
The statement said that the latest decision was taken after an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.
As signed by its national President, Anderson Ezeibe, the statement was titled, ‘Status Update of the ASUP/Federal Government of Nigeria Engagement; and Resolutions of the Emergency National Executive Council Meeting of ASUP.’
According to the statement, the union suspended its industrial action declared on the April 6, 2021 in June 10, 2021, following the signing of a Memorandum of Action (MoA) with the government for a period of three months to enable the government conclude processes already initiated in the direction of fulfilment of the items in the MoA.
The ASUP said, after 9 months of suspending the strike, it met to evaluate government’s response to the MoA, where it gave the Federal Government a one-month ultimatum but it failed to honour its agreement with the union.
The ASUP said: “Nine months after the suspension of the industrial action and six months after the expiration of the three-month period of suspension, our Union’s NEC met in Federal Polytechnic Mubi and after reviewing the report of the implementation of the MoA, resolved to issue a 1 month ultimatum to the government effective 4th April, 2022 to address the outstanding items in the MoA and other emergent issues or face the reality of another trade dispute with our Union”.
The statement further explained that Union’s ultimatum expired on the 4th of May, 2022, adding that “as is the norm, the Union’s NEC reconvened today, 11th of May, 2022 to review the response of the government to the ultimatum, particularly as it affects relevant agencies/functionaries of government”.
The union accused the government of not making attempts at reconciliation despite the ultimatum given, pointing out that the government also stayed away from a May 9 meeting called by the Minister of Education.
It noted that the meeting failed to meet basic requirements for collective bargaining.
The ASUP said within the period of the ultimatum, they met with the National Board for Technical Education to review the grievances with a view to taking a resolution, saying that another meeting fixed at the instance of Minister of Education after the 2 expiration of the ultimatum, failed to meet basic requirements for collective bargaining.
The National president of the Union said they decided to stay away from the meeting as it was not structured to address the issues in dispute.
The statement further noted that the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment only acknowledged receipt of the union’s ultimatum without making attempts for reconciliation.
