Our reporter
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Auchi Polytechnic chapter, has announced the suspension of its planned industrial action regarding the contentious new scheme of service.
This decision was disclosed by the chapter chairman, Mr. Bamidele Osamudiamen, during an emergency congress of the union held in Auchi on Friday.
The suspension follows a directive from the national body of ASUP after the federal government agreed to suspend the implementation of the new scheme of service that had raised significant concerns among the union members.
It is noteworthy that the Auchi Polytechnic chapter had previously issued a 15-day ultimatum to the government to halt the scheme of service, which had been a focal point of the union’s protests. The chapter had actively demonstrated its disapproval of the scheme through various protests.
Mr. Osamudiamen criticized the new scheme for promoting what he termed discriminatory practices that favored university degree holders over Higher National Diploma (HND) holders. He pointed out that the scheme created an unfair career progression guide that negatively impacted both teaching and non-teaching staff.
“The unfair career progression guide in the sector, particularly as it affects the teaching and non-teaching staff cadres, is a recipe for crises as it is not reflective of the remuneration accruing to the cadres,” Osamudiamen stated. He highlighted that the document unjustifiably elongated the career progression steps for lecturers from a 7-step to a 9-step process and added an extra year for promotion to the final two levels.
“This implies that anyone on the lecturer cadre will now endure a minimum of 26 years from the base to the highest level. This is not acceptable, particularly as it deviates from the norm in other subsectors and the retirement age remains unchanged,” he added.
Osamudiamen had previously emphasized the union’s readiness to embark on industrial action if the government failed to address these issues.
However, at the congress on Friday, he announced, “The decision to suspend the earlier scheduled industrial action is in recognition of the fact that the demands of the union have been met substantially by the government.”
The union’s decision to suspend the strike is a significant development and reflects a step forward in addressing the concerns of the academic staff at Auchi Polytechnic. The union remains vigilant and prepared to take further action if necessary to protect the interests of its members.
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