LASPOTECH Lecturers Refuses To Join ASUP Strike

As the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) begins a nationwide strike on Wednesday, December 12, 2018, Lagos State Polytechnics lecturers have refused to join the strike.
Explaining the union's reason for the strike, the National President of ASUP, Usman Dutse, said the strike became necessary after the Federal Government failed to implement the 2009 and 2017 agreements reached with the union.

However, the Vice-Chairman, ASUP, LASPOTHECH chapter, Salami Olugbenga while speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said the institution could not join the strike because there has been no ASUP organ in LASPOTECH since December 2017.

This according to Olugbenga was as a result of an internal crisis between the union and the polytechnic’s management.

“We are not on strike because we have some internal wranglings with the management sometime last year which is still in court.

“We can’t join the strike because there is no organ of the union on the ground for now.

“Our members at some points were looking up to ASUP National to wade into the matter and resolve it, unfortunately, the national body is seriously disappointing.

“The national came to LASPOTECH at some point and met the Rector, maybe because the rector was so adamant and the case was already in court, they felt there was nothing they could do about it,” he said.

According to NAN, Olugbenga also said the management of LASPOTECH had attempted to withdraw the case but the union executives knowing that this would enable the management to clamp down heavily on some of them, refused and filed a counterclaim.

No Going Back On December 12 Strike - ASUP

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) on Tuesday said there was no going back on its planned indefinite strike beginning on Dec. 12 in all the nation’s polytechnics.

Mr Usman Dutse, the National President of the union made the declaration in an interview in Lagos.

Dutse said that the strike became necessary following the failure of the Federal Government to implement the 2009 and 2017 agreements reached with the union.

According to him, we are commencing our strike tomorrow as scheduled. Everything is set and there is no going back.

“There is an invitation for a meeting on Dec. 17, but we will still commence our strike on Wednesday.

“I don’t know what will happen at the meeting or what they have decided, but until we meet with them, we cannot predict.

”I don’t know what they plan to present until we meet with them,“ he said.

Dutse said that the strike would be comprehensive and total, until all issues raised were adequately addressed by the government.

He said the union had issued a notice directing all members nationwide to comply and down tools by midnight of Dec 12.

Polytechnic Lecturers Finally Declares An Indefinite Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has announced its decision to embark on an indefinite strike with effect from Wednesday, December 12.

ASUP National Treasurer, Suleiman Usman, said this while briefing reporters shortly after the union’s National Executive Council meeting on Friday in Kaduna State.

He said the decision was taken at the end of the meeting which lasted for several hours at the Kaduna Polytechnic.

He alleged that despite the 21-day ultimatum issued by ASUP to the government to address some of the issues it had raised over time, the government has been nonchalant in addressing the demands for improved funding of polytechnic education in the country.

Polytechnic Lecturers To Begin Strike By December 12

Academic activities in Nigerian tertiary education institutions would soon be completely paralysed as Polytechnic lecturers are also planning to go on strike.
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has declared that it would begin an indefinite strike on Wednesday, December 12, 2018.

The National President of ASUP, Usman Dutse in an interview with Premium Times reportedly said the federal government had failed to meet the demands of the polytechnic lecturers.

Earlier in October, the union issued a 21-day ultimatum to the government. It later extended it to November but didn't start the strike.

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The ASUP president said the impending strike would be ''total and indefinite''.

“This further emphasises the resolution of the 93rd National Executive Council meeting reached at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos last week.

“Government has failed to implement and fulfil agreements it reached with the union as contained in the memorandum of understanding signed,” he said.

Meanwhile, the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities have again failed to resolve their disagreements over ASUU strike.