The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the federal government after which the union intends to embark on an indefinite strike if its demands are not met.
ASUP leaders made this known through a statement made available to the media after an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union on Tuesday, May 17, at Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State.
The union of lecturers in public polytechnics had in the emergency meeting listed a seven-point demand which it wants the federal government to meet within the next two weeks or see its members will embark on an indefinite strike.
Top on the list of demands by ASUP is the immediate release of N15 billion revitalization funds for polytechnics approved by President Muhammad Buhari eleven months ago.
Others include the immediate release of arrears of the new minimum wage owned to polytechnic staff.
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Besides, the union admonished the federal government to address the issue of non-release of the scheme of service for polytechnics, approved in 2017.
ASUP is also asking for the immediate compliance and implementation of the approved retirement age and new salary structure for polytechnic staff across the country.
Anderson Uzeibe, the national president of ASUP presided over the emergency meeting where the union vowed to tread the path of its university counterpart if urgent action is not taken to address its demands.
Uzeibe and his colleagues called on stakeholders and well-meaning Nigerians to help mount pressure on the federal government to do the needful by meeting the union’s demands within the two weeks time interval given.
ASUP leaders believe that the collaborative actions of the public in prevailing on the federal government to do the needful would go a long in preventing the plans to shut down academic activities in all public polytechnics across the country
Recall that ASUP had earlier on in May extended the union’s ultimatum to the federal government by another 30 days to address their outstanding issues.
