Why we have suspended the planned strike

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) said it had suspended its planned industrial action after the federal government intervened in a controversial new utility program.

The ASUP Coordinator for Zone D, Dr. Iloma Richard, said this on Friday, July 26, 2024, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

Richard said the union had given the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) a 15-day ultimatum to either suspend implementation of the controversial policy or face industrial action.

He explained: “But before the ultimatum expired on July 22, the Federal Ministry of Education convened a tripartite meeting with ASUP and NBTE on July 19.

“The result of the meeting was the decision to suspend the implementation of the controversial document by sending an official circular to all relevant authorities. The NBTE complied.

“The meeting also decided that NBTE should initiate a review process of the flawed service plan by critical stakeholders.”

Richard noted that the ASUP National Executive Council (NEC) was satisfied with the terms agreed during the meeting.

ASUP: No ongoing negotiations with FG, we will strike

“Consequently, the NEC has decided to suspend the planned industrial action while monitoring the seriousness of the review process,” the ASUP official noted.

Furthermore, Richard praised the Federal Ministry of Education for its timely intervention and also praised the NBTE for its understanding.

“We are grateful to ASUP departments, principals, provosts and students for their support throughout the process,” he said.

One of the points of contention in the new regulation is the requirement to make the Office of the Head of the Federal Civil Service the licensing authority for universities of applied sciences.

Other discriminatory aspects include the minimum employment requirements for bachelor’s graduates, which are set at the minimum second class score, and the higher credits for graduates of polytechnics.

These include, for example, a longer promotion period for lecturers, the classification of academic staff as non-academic staff and the reclassification of technicians as non-academic staff.

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