ASUP has issued 21-day ultimatum to FG over unmet demands.
NaijaOnPoint Nigeria reports that the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has given the Federal Government a 21-day deadline to fulfill outstanding commitments from a long-standing agreement with the union.
Speaking after an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday in Abuja, ASUP President, Mr. Shammah Kpanja, outlined several unresolved issues, including the failure of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) to release a circular for the payment of the Peculiar Academic Allowance as contained in the ASUP/FGN 2010 agreement.
Kpanja explained that the allowances, previously budgeted for polytechnic academic staff, have been removed from the budgeting template, while the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) has yet to intervene decisively.
The NEC also condemned the National Board for Technical Education’s (NBTE) continued outsourcing of the accreditation process for polytechnics despite earlier assurances to stop the practice.
Other grievances include the non-implementation of the 25/35 per cent arrears from the recent salary review, covering 12 months and already captured in the budget and the refusal of many state governments to implement the national minimum wage for polytechnic workers.
The union also expressed frustration over the delayed approval of a dual mandate structure to end discrimination against Higher National Diploma (HND) holders.
“In view of these unresolved matters, the NEC has resolved to issue a 21-day ultimatum to the Government. If the issues remain unaddressed within this period, we may declare a trade dispute and withdraw the services of our members across all public polytechnics and monotechnics nationwide,” Kpanja warned.