EDUCATION CRISIS: ANOTHER ASUP STRIKE MAY BEGIN SOON

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) announced the decision to
suspend the nationwide strike on July 16, 2013. Unfortunately, it has just been a pause.
ASUP is gearing for another industrial action, which would commence after next week, and would
be indefinite.
The union made the appropriate statement on August 13, 2013, Tuesday during the mass protest
to 'save public education' in Lagos.
"The suspension of the strike will expire next week and up till now government has not done any
single thing in the agreement," said Chibuzo Asomugha, ASUP's National President.
After 81 days of inactivity in polytechnics across Nigeria, the union decided to suspend the
strike following the level of progress made in negotiations with the government.
ASUP said that it suspended the strike to allow the Senate Joint Committee on Education to
liaise with relevant government agencies with a view to tackling the union's demands within one
month.
Among ASUP's demands include the need for constitution of the Governing Councils of Federal
Polytechnics; migration of the lower cadre to CONTISS 15 salary scale; and the "worrisome
condition" of state-owned polytechnics in the country.
"Government should stop paying lip service to public education," said Mr. Asomugha. "The closer
you get to this people in government, the more you lose hope."