By Moses John
Abuja
Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has threatened to resume its suspended industrial action that lasted 11 months over victimisation of its members and interference in union activities and non-payment of allowances by government.
National President of ASUP, Comrade Usman Y. Dutse, told journalists in Abuja at the weekend, also disclosed that an emergency meeting of an organ of the union had been scheduled for January 24-25, 2017, to deliberate on the next line of action.
Dutse, who said an ultimatum issued by the union for government to address the issues in December, had since expired, and lamented over neglect of the polytechnic sub-sector by the government.
He said technical and vocational education would have be the option to the diversification move the federal government was making, stressing that without proper funding and attention given to the sub-sector, it would be difficult to achieve such plan.
He said: “We gave government ultimatum in December, last year, over pending issues in the Polytechnic, and the ultimatum has elapse last week. Though government invited us for meeting, and that is ongoing. We have also summon a meeting of our organ, the National Executive Council (NEC) between 24-25 January 2017 to deliberate on the challenges and also our meeting with the government so as to decide on the next line of action.
“The contentions issues are the shortfall in personnel, non-payment of academic allowances, needs assessment, review of the Polytechnic Act, dichotomy between HND and BSc, interference of union activities by some rectors of Federal Polytechnics, promotion arrears, non appointment of Boards of Federal Polytechnics, and non-implementation and arrears of CONTISS 15.”
