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Polytechnic lecturers suspend 9-month strike, give FG 3 months grace*COEASU may call off 7-month industrial action, Thursday
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) on Saturday suspended its nine-month old strike and directed members to resume work on Tuesday when the suspension would take effect.
ASUP’s decision to suspend its industrial action was taken at an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council held in Abuja early Saturday morning. In the same vein, the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) may do likewise next week after its meeting with the education minister.
One of ASUP’s zonal coordinators told our correspondent in a phone interview from Abuja that the decision to suspend their strike was based on the passionate appeal made by the new Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, when he met ASUP leadership on Thursday last week.
He said in arriving at the decision to suspend their industrial action, NEC also gave the education minister three months to address the issues in contention.
He said specifically, “ASU NEC would want the new minister to address two vital issues. The release of the visitation panel report to federal polytechnics and the implementation of CONTISS 15 migration for the lower cadres in polytechnics.
“The suspension of the strike takes effect from July 15 and our members are expected to resume work same day. One of the main reasons we decided to suspend the strike was that the official assignment of the minister after his appointment was a meeting with ASUP leadership. We met him and he appealed for time which NEC considered’’.
The General Secretary of COEASU, Comrade Nuhu Origima, told Sunday Sun on phone that the leadership of the union would meet with the new education minister after which NEC would take a decision. In a swift reaction to the development, the President, National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), Comrade Lukman Salahudeen, said polytechnic students are disappointed to hear that the protracted strike by ASUP was suspended rather than called off. He said it’s a disgrace and a slight on the Transformation Agenda Team of President Goodluck Jonathan noting “we are convinced now that the government has no respect for our future nor the technological advancement of our dear nation and as such we have lost confidence in the transformation agenda”.
Salahudeen lauded ASUP and the commitment of the new Minister for Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau who convinced ASUP to suspend the strike adding “We implore him to work as promised.”
ASUP embarked on the strike because of government’s failure to kick start the renegotiation of the FG/ASUP agreement which was due in July 2012, refusal of government to implement the CONTISS 15 migration for the lower cadres in polytechnics, the withholding of the White Paper on the visitations to federal polytechnics more than one year after the exercise was concluded and the reluctance of government to address the lingering bias against polytechnic graduates.
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