The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet its outstanding demands in an agreement it had entered with the union.
The President of ASUP, Shammah Kpanja, said this while addressing newsmen at the end of an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council of the union in Abuja on Thursday, August 15.
Kapanja said that the demands by the union include the non-release of a circular to effect the payment of its Peculiar Academic Allowance by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC).
He mentioned that the peculiar academic allowances paid to academic staff across polytechnics were a component of the ASUP/FGN 2010 agreement.
The union leader said that, rather than make provisions for payment, the allowances have been removed from the budgeting template and the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) had failed to intervene in definite terms on the subject.
He said the NEC expressed deep concerns over the continued decision by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to outsource the accreditation process for polytechnics in the country despite assurances to desist from such actions.
The union leader said the 25/35 per cent arrears of salary review were yet to be implemented.
He said that the arrears, which cover a 12-month period and are captured in the budget, are yet to be released for reasons beyond the comprehension of the union.
“In view of the items listed above, our union’s NEC has resolved to issue a 21-day ultimatum to the Government to address the issues satisfactorily.
A failure to utilise this window may lead to the declaration of a trade dispute and withdrawal of services of our members across public polytechnics and monotechnics nationwide,” he said
