The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has said it will not attend a meeting with the Federal Government scheduled to hold today, May 9, 2022.
According to the ASUP, Anderson Ezeibe, in an interview with PUNCH, explained that the four-week notice of strike, which the union gave the FG to meet its demands began on April 4, 2022 and ended on May 4, 2022.
The union had given the FGA the notice of strike to press home its unmet demands, some of which include the release the N15bn revitalisation fund to address the decay in infrastructure in the sector; and payment of the arrears of polytechnic employees following the approval and implementation of new minimum wage.
Ezeibe said ASUP would not attend the meeting because it did not meet the requirements of a proper collective bargaining engagement. He added that the union will hold a meeting later in the week to decide whether to go on strike.
He said, “The ultimatum elapsed on the 4th of May, 2022. A meeting is purportedly scheduled for the 9th of May, 2022. However, our Union will not be attending as the purported meeting does not meet the requirements of a proper collective bargaining engagement.
“Our union will not dissipate energy and become complicit in wastage of public funds by attending such a gathering as the purported meeting is not structured to address our grievances.
He said, “The ultimatum elapsed on the 4th of May, 2022. A meeting is purportedly scheduled for the 9th of May, 2022. However, our Union will not be attending as the purported meeting does not meet the requirements of a proper collective bargaining engagement.
“Our union will not dissipate energy and become complicit in wastage of public funds by attending such a gathering as the purported meeting is not structured to address our grievances.
The gathering is at the instance of the Minister of Education and as already pointed out, ASUP will not be there as the gathering falls significantly short of collective bargaining procedures and processes. The conveners of the meeting have been duly notified of our position.”
“ASUP organs will be meeting on the 10th and 11th of May 2022 in Abuja to take a decision, following the expiration of the ultimatum and refusal of concerned agencies and functionaries of government to attend to the issues in dispute. The Council of National Officers will meet on the 10th, while the National Executive Council will meet on the 11th. The decisions reached at the end of these meetings of our union will be communicated to the public,” he said.
While ASUP are contemplating on shutting down academic activities in Nigeria polytechnics and college of technologies, their counterpart in the universities has just called off their warning strike and declared indefinite strike as FG refused to acceded to their demands as well.
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