The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has listed 13 demands it needs the federal government to address in order to prevent the closure of polytechnics and monotechnics nationwide.
The union, which issued a 21-day ultimatum to government, said failure to satisfactorily address the 13 demands, could lead to the withdrawal of services of its members across public polytechnics and monotechnics nationwide, reports The Nation.
The union took the position at its National Executive Council meeting today in Abuja.
Addressing reporters at the end of the NEC meeting, ASUP President, Shammah S. Kpanja said: “In view of the items listed and the non committal disposition of the FME in committing to genuine dialogue and lack of will to execute previous resolutions on some of the items, our Union’s NEC has resolved to issue a 21 days ultimatum to the Government to address the issues satisfactorily.
“A failure to utilise this window may lead to the declaration of a trade dispute and withdrawal of services of our members across public polytechnics and monotechnics nationwide.”
The demands by the union include: non-release of circular by the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) to cover the peculiar academic allowance; non-release of arrears of the 25/35% salary review/ non-implementation of same in state owned polytechnics; delay in granting a dual mandate structure for polytechnics; 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 road map of the FME as it affects setting up a dedicated commission for the sector; non-release of promotion arrears/non-implementation of promotion in many state owned institutions and renegotiation of ASUP/FGN 2010 agreement.
Others are: refusal to domesticate of relevant portions of the Federal Polytechnics Act by state-owned polytechnics; sustained dichotomy against HND holders in the 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.
