ASUP Threatens Nationwide Strike Over Unpaid Salaries Owed by State Govts
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has issued a warning to state governments owing its lecturers months of salaries to pay up or risk a nationwide strike.
Addressing members at the 106th meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC), the President of the Union, Anderson Ezeibe, vowed that the union would ensure that all members owed by the states are paid before the expiration of their administrations on May 29.
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Ezeibe condemned the governors’ insensitivity to the plight of the lecturers, noting that it is sad to hear that academics are owed salaries in the current economic dispensation.
According to him, Abia State institutions are currently owed salaries for over 40 months, and its members in Plateau, Osun, Benue, Edo, and Ondo state polytechnics are owed months of unpaid salaries.
He said: “As a union, our responsibility to our employer is to come to work, perform our duties, and leave with the hope that at the end of the month, our employers will behave themselves and pay us our emoluments in full.
“But unfortunately, some state governments have continued to play with the livelihoods of staff of polytechnics in their respective states. Abia State Polytechnic Aba, where staff are owed for over 40 months, Polytechnics and Monotechnics owned by the Plateau State government, Polytechnics and Monotechnics owned by the Osun State government, Polytechnics and Monotechnics owned by the Benue State government, Polytechnic owned by the Ondo State government, and The Polytechnic owned by the Edo State government are owed backlogs of their salaries.
“The union is unhappy with the situation and requests that salaries be paid immediately or face massive industrial actions or shut down the institution till the state is ready to fund the polytechnics.”
Speaking further on other demands of the union, Ezeibe requested the immediate release of all withheld third-party check-off deductions from the salaries of members and the recommencement of the union/FG renegotiation process.
“Our union demands that the outgoing state governments of Abia, Osun, Plateau, Benue, Edo, Ondo, Ogun, and Sokoto fulfill their obligations to our members by releasing owed salaries and withheld check-off dues.
“We are equally demanding the recommencement of the union/FG renegotiation process to usher in a new dispensation of staff welfare in the sector,” he said.
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