Tension is mounting at a federal polytechnic in the country as workers have threatened to embark on an indefinite strike over the non-payment of promotion arrears and other entitlements owed them by management.
The polytechnic’s chapters of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) jointly issued a seven-day ultimatum to the institution’s management on Friday, warning that failure to address their demands could result in a total shutdown of academic and administrative activities.
Speaking to journalists after an emergency congress, ASUP Chairman, Comrade James Okeke, lamented that staff who had been promoted since 2021 were yet to receive their financial benefits, despite repeated assurances from the school authorities.
“It is unacceptable that workers who have diligently earned their promotions are being denied their arrears. This is demoralizing and amounts to injustice. We have exercised patience for too long, but our patience has run out. If by the end of the ultimatum nothing changes, we shall down tools,” Okeke said.
NASU Secretary, Mrs. Florence Adebayo, also accused the polytechnic management of neglecting workers’ welfare while prioritizing other expenditures. She cited unpaid hazard allowances, deductions not remitted to cooperatives, and irregular payment of salaries as additional grievances fueling the looming strike.
Students of the institution expressed worry over the development, fearing that another round of industrial action could disrupt the ongoing semester and delay their academic calendar.
When contacted, the polytechnic’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Musa Ibrahim, appealed for calm, assuring that management was in talks with relevant government agencies to resolve the issues.
“We are aware of the concerns raised by the unions. Management is already engaging with the Federal Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to ensure that the arrears and entitlements are addressed within available resources,” he said.
Meanwhile, education analysts warn that another prolonged strike in the polytechnic sector could worsen the already fragile state of Nigeria’s tertiary education system, which has suffered repeated disruptions in recent years.
