Polytechnic lecturers begin two-week warning strike

NIGERIAN polytechnic lecturers under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) have declared a two-week warning strike with effect from Monday.

  A statement signed by President of ASUP, Anderson Ezeibe, said the decision was taken during the union’s 102nd emergency national executive council meeting held in Abuja, yesterday.

  Reading from the statement which was titled Status Update of ASUP/Federal Government of Nigeria Engagement and Resolutions of the Emergency National Executive Council (NEC) 102nd Meeting of ASUP, Ezeibe said their demands include federal government’s failure to release the approved revitalisation fund of N15 billion for the sector 11 months after it was approved by President Muhammadu Buahri and failure to release arrears of its members’ new minimum wage among others.

  The new development is coming less than 72 hours after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) extended its ongoing strike by another three months.

  According to ASUP, the decision became imperative following the failure of the government to implement the Memorandum of Action (MoA) signed in June, 2021, which informed the suspension of its two-month strike at the time, adding that it had given a one-month ultimatum in April to address its needs but government ignored.

  It will be recalled that other labour unions in the universities, including Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) are also currently on strike.