The members of the academic staff of Waziri Umaru Federal Polytechnic, Kebbi State said they have suspended their services for two weeks beginning yesterday.
They took the decision to embark on the warning strike at the end of the State Executive Council meeting of the Kebbi State branch of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP).
The Chairman of the branch, Dr Zubairu Usman-Bashar said “the government is fully aware of the non-release of approved revitalisation fund of N15 billion to polytechnics 11 months after approval was given by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Other demands include the non-release of arrears of the new minimum wage, especially the 10-month arrears to polytechnics. “There is the non-compliance with approved retirement age, non-deployment of approved salary structures, poor governance structure and issues of standards, particularly in state-owned polytechnics,’’ he said Usman-Bashar stressed that the decision to suspend academic activities was in line with directives of the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUP.
He appealed to members of the public to prevail on the government to do the needful within the two weeks to avoid an indefinite strike by the union.
The chairman urged parents and students to exercise patience as the strike remained the only viable option the union had to press for the fulfilment of agreements reached with the Federal Government.
The union gave the Federal Government a one-month ultimatum on April 1 to address its demands, failing which it would direct a warning strike.
“Following exhaustive deliberations the union’s NEC resolved that members should withdraw their services in a two-week warning strike with effect from yesterday,’’ Usman-Bashar said.