By DESMOND EJIBAS

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) says it has not started negotiations with the Federal Government to address contentious issues in the new scheme of service.

Dr Iloma Richard, ASUP Zone D Coordinator, who stated this at a news conference in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, said that the proposed document could severely harm polytechnic education in the country.

“Negotiation has not yet begun with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to address the issue of new scheme of service,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that ASUP gave NBTE a 15-day ultimatum, ending on June 22, to suspend the implementation of the disputed scheme of service or risk industrial action.

He said that the union would mobilise members to strike if public polytechnics authorities did not meet ASUP’s demands.

“Ever since the 15-day ultimatum was issued, NBTE has failed to convene a single meeting of stakeholders to address the issues in contention,” he said.

Richard stated that suspension of the scheme of service was necessary because some of its provisions were below the standard.

The ASUP official said that the union was averse to a provision in the new scheme making the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation an approving authority.

He said that It was discriminatory to peg the minimum employment requirement for Bachelor’s degree holders at second class lower division while their polytechnic counterparts required upper credits.

“Extension of the cadre progression ranks of lecturers from ‘7-steps to 9-steps,’ is alien to any educational sector in the world,” he said.

He further said that the service scheme differed greatly from the one developed by stakeholders after more than six years of coordinated consultations by NBTE.

The union leader listed other contentious issues to include, an extra year for promoting lectures, non-academic designation for academic staff, and reclassification of technologists as non-academic staff among others.

“It is clear that if allowed, the document will undermine career progression, escalate the existing discriminations, reduce staff morale and lead to an eventual collapse of polytechnic education.

“In view of this, ASUP’s Zone D, comprising of South-South and South-East states endorse the National Executive Council’s call for the suspension and review of all identified areas in the document.

“We shall swiftly mobilise our members in the zone if at the expiration of the ultimatum, the union directs us to embark on industrial action,” he added.

Richard said that despite being on the ninth day of the ultimatum, NBTE had continued to engage in activities that could hinder peaceful resolution of the matter. (NAN)

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