Hope For Polytechnic In 9ja?

Hope For Polytechnic?ASUP STRIKE: June 24 May Be Polytechnics Students’ Day Of Deliverance

June 24 presents another beacon of hope to polytechnic students who have lost a full academic session as the Federal Government and ASUP iron out their issues on the rather abandoned negotiation table

ASUP's cause have received support from most students....

Students have a staged a series of protests as they seek an end to the ASUP strike

One full academic year has been lost by Polytechnics students following Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) strike that started on April 29, 2013.

The strike was paused on July 10 after a compromise with government. It resumed in earnest 3 months later after the Federal Government, probably distracted by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, failed to settle any of the 13 issues as promised.

ASUP's original reason for striking is based on the failure of the Federal Government to honour an April 29, 2013 agreement whose main demands included the need for constituting a 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 Needs Assessment of Nigerian Polytechnics.

Federal Government 's seeming nonchalance and habitual refusal to fulfil promises has seen the ASUP strike drag on up until now, 331 days - an entire session wasted.

The ASUP National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held last Thursday, 12th June, which raised hoped of an end to the strike, failed to do so.

"We are meeting to appraise the level of negotiation and to also decide on the next line of action," The National Publicity secretary, ASUP Clement Chairman had said before the meeting.

So the meeting ended and the strike continued.

But some positives appeared, even as the Coordinator of ASUP Zone D, Mr. Anderson Ezeibe reportedly said ASUP chapters will conduct referendums this week and convene another meeting at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, on Tuesday June 24.

“We hope that the issues will finally be resolved at that meeting,” Ezeibe said in a Vanguard report.

It seems that ASUP is soft-pedalling, with Ezeibe noting that the union is not demanding an outright release of funds but a concrete, actionable agreement.

"We would also like to draw up an agreement including the non-victimization clause so that the salaries being owed will be paid. We are not even saying that the moneys must be paid before the strike is called off, but let Government tell us when the money will be paid.

"We are being very liberal about this; it is not a difficult situation, but a test of Government’s commitment. Let it be put in writing, and let the relevant parties sign.”

With this, it then seems the next hope-tower is June 24.

But all that is dependent on the Federal Government's willingness to put pen to paper and then act upon whatever is agreed, even as it claims to be 'in a fix over the strike'.

It's June 24 then for polytechnic students and ASUP, whose members are not only pulling out but is also being accused of being "outrageous" in its demands!