The 15-day ultimatum issued by the Educational Workers Union of Polytechnics to the Federal Authorities to fulfill its calls for is about to run out on October 23.
The group had threatened to embark on strike ought to the federal government fail to deal with the contentious new scheme of service for polytechnic lecturers throughout the nation.
Because the deadline approaches, extra lecturers have endorsed the ASUP Nationwide Government Council’s place to mobilise members to withdraw their companies as soon as the ultimatum expires.
ASUP Zone D Coordinator, Dr Iloma Richard, instructed the Information Company of Nigeria in Port Harcourt on Wednesday that the federal government has but to deal with the contentious points within the new tips.
Richard stated that ASUP had suspended its deliberate industrial motion on July 22, following the Federal Authorities’s intervention, which mandated the Nationwide Board for Technical Training to evaluate the disputed tips.
“The strike was suspended to create the required surroundings for the speedy decision of all contentious points via the stakeholders’ engagement course of.
“Regrettably, as I converse, no progress has been made on this course because of the apparent reluctance of NBTE.
“The union has additionally famous, with remorse, an analogous perspective of the federal government in direction of different welfare wants of the union’s members,” he stated.
The union chief highlighted the alleged disregard for high quality management in polytechnic schooling, warning that, if allowed to persist, it could result in the collapse of technical and vocational schooling within the nation.
In keeping with him, polytechnic lecturers in Zone D, comprising the South-South and South-East states, would withdraw their companies as soon as ASUP’s NEC points such a directive.
“This place has been articulated by our nationwide management and formally communicated to all related authorities, with a subsisting 15-day ultimatum efficient from Oct. 8.
“We will not hesitate to swiftly mobilise our members from all chapters within the zone if, upon the expiration of the ultimatum, NEC directs any type of industrial motion,” Richard added.
NAN studies that the contentious points within the new scheme embody the delayed stakeholders’ engagement within the scheme of service and the non-release of the stakeholders-validated Situation of Service for polytechnics.
Different points embody the inconsistent provisions of the Federal Polytechnic Act and the Legal guidelines establishing state-owned establishments, significantly regarding the appointment of Principal Officers.
Moreover, issues have been raised over the delayed implementation of a 35 per cent and 25 per cent wage evaluate for state-owned polytechnics, in addition to the discharge of arrears for federal polytechnics.
ASUP additionally demanded the discharge of a second tranche of the NEEDS Evaluation intervention fund and the instant seize of members’ peculiar educational allowance, amongst different points.
NAN
