Senior Staff of Nigerian Polytechnics on Tuesday issued a 21-day ultimatum to embark on an indefinite strike if the Federal Government failed to address lingering issues associated with the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System.

This is coming 24 hours after the Senior Staff of Association of Nigeria Universities and Non-Academic Staff Union commenced a 14-day warning strike in protest against the IPPIS and the delay by the government in the re-negotiation of the 2009 SSANU/Federal Government Agreement.

Rising from an emergency meeting in Abuja, the polytechnic workers, under the auspices of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics expressed displeasure with the way the National Board for Technical Education had handled the scheme of service.

In a communique read to journalists at the end of the meeting, the National President of SSANIP, Philip Ogunsipe, said the workers’ grievances include the non-release of the new minimum wage arrears, inconsistencies in the release of third-party deductions, non-payment of COVID-19 hazard allowance for health workers, high draconian tax regime on consolidated salary, delay in promotion arrears, among others.

Ogunsipe said, “Against this backdrop, the council wishes to call on the relevant agencies of government to expedite actions toward resolving these highlighted challenges.

“Equally, the council wishes to frankly state that failure of the IPPIS to address these highlighted challenges within 21 days from the date of this communique would leave the union with no other option than to review its stance on IPPIS.”

Commenting on the alleged poor handling of the scheme of service by the NBTE, the union leader accused the board of reviewing the document “without due consultation with relevant stakeholders.”

He added, “On the strength of this, the council resolved that any attempt to foist a scheme of service document on SSANIP without our input is unacceptable and therefore, would be an invitation to an atmosphere of disharmony.

“The council wishes to specifically and frankly state that the failure of NBTE to address this issue within 21 days from the date of this communique would leave the union with no other option than to declare industrial dispute.” (The PUNCH)

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