Strike Update: ASUP/COEASU Strikes Continue As NEC Decides.

The latest news on ASUP and COEASU Strike actions is that the strikes
will continue as National Executive Council (NEC) decides to continue
the strikes. Full details of the NEC meeting as reported by Premium
Times.

Strike Update – ASUP, COEASU Strike Continues
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, concluded its National
Executive Council meeting on Thursday morning and resolved to continue
with its strike.
The union's National Publicity Secretary, Clement Chirman, told
PREMIUM TIMES that the Federal Government was frustrating the union
and prolonging the strike.
He said government was yet to say move forward with a committee that
it had promised to setup to resolve the issue of wages and salary
arrears.
"Our strike cannot be suspended just like that. The last time we met,
the (Education) Minster said the government would set up a committee
based on the observation of Salaries and Wages commission on payment
of CONTISS 15 migration. The minister said before the House of
Representatives that both ASUP and COEASU should join the meeting;
which we agreed to do.
"Then he gave one week from the date of our last meeting for the setup
of the committee," Mr. Chirman said.
"But since that day, no committee has been set up and there has been
nothing from the government concerning the committee. So our position
is that government is frustrating and prolonging the strike. After our
NEC meeting, we agreed that there was no basis upon which the strike
would be suspended."
Mr. Chirman said the union would not call off the strike based on "nothing."
"We understand the fact that people have suffered and we have also
suffered too. For now there is no other decision made than to continue
with the strike," he said.
A meeting was held at the National Assembly on May 27 between
lecturers and the government delegation led by the Education Minister,
Nyesom Wike. The meeting was facilitated by the House of
Representatives Committee on Education.
Mr. Wike told attendees that the major remaining contention of the
workers – their salary arrears – was not being addressed because a
government agency had raised concerns. He said the Salaries, Wages and
Income Commission was opposed to the payment of arrears owed the
lecturers, saying it was not consulted before the 2009 CONTISS 15
agreement between the lecturers and the federal government was
reached.
The minister told the meeting that a technical committee had been set
up by the Secretary to
the Government of the Federation, SGF, Pius Anyim, to review crisis.
The lawmakers then asked the committee to conclude its task in one
week and to consult the lecturers in its deliberation.
In his reaction to the lecturers' claim, the Special Assistant
(Media), Simon Nwakadu, to Mr. Wike, told PREMIUM TIMES that the
committee has been meeting.
"The committee is on and they are meeting at the SGF level and both
ASUP and COASEU are involved directly but they have not concluded
their work.
"We are hoping by next week Tuesday they should conclude their work
but they are on it. The committee was an existing committee even
before they met that day. But that day the minster suggested that
since the committee was dealing with issues concerning wages and
salary, ASUP and COEASU should join them," Mr. Nwakadu explained.
ASUP has been on strike since October 4, 2013. The union's demands
include the need for the constitution of the Governing Councils of
Federal Polytechnics, the migration of the lower cadres on the CONTISS
15 salary scale, the release of the White Paper on the Visitations to
Federal Polytechnics, and the need for the commencement of the Need
Assessment of Nigerian Polytechnics.

Source: NGScholars