The Federal Polytechnic, Oko chapter of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) on Tuesday embarked on indefinite strike over an alleged non-compliance of the statutory entitlement by the management of the institution.

ASUP Chairman for Federal Polytechnic, Oko chapter, Comrade Godson Okeoma, said that the cause of the indefinite strike was as a result of the arrogant insensitivity of the management towards the legitimate demands of the staff of the institution.

Godson said the union had. through her letter dated June 7, 2017, requested the management of institution to look into the salient issues bothering the union.

The issued added include release of outstanding promotion including cash backing thereto; non promotion of members who are due; complete and full payment of peculiar academic allowances and arrears as well as complete payment of excess workload negotiated and signed between the union and the management.

He said: “Salient demand which the union moves to correct were unwarranted termination of Mr. C. Y. Nwamuo’s appointment; arbitrary and illegal change of year of promotion from three to four years; alleged and reported sale of admission process, result printing and transcript control to a private firm, TENECEE, among others.”

Godson stressed that the union, through her letter dated June 7, 2017, requested a meeting with the management of the institution to amicably resolve her differences but regretted that the management instead demanded amplified version of the union’s demand.

He said that despite the management’s demand, the union marshaled out salient issues to be discussed in her letter sent earlier.

“It is regrettable that the management responded to these demands with laxity, mockery and provocative, even as the union was committed to ideals of responsible unionism and constructive engagement.

“In response to Management’s unremitting intransigence and indifference to glaring issues affecting the welfare of staff, all the executives of the trade unions on campus came up with resolution after a joint meeting and wrote a letter to the management, which was signed by all the chairmen and secretaries of the four trade unions, title resolution of all the union in our institution, dated December 11, 2017, requesting for the implementation of the above-mentioned demands,” he said.

According to a document made available to our reporter, the union alleged that the management hoards a circular by the Federal government directing that these allowances be paid with the Internally Generated Revenue, pending when they are captured in the annual national budget.

It further disagreed on the claim of the management that she had short-fall, noting that their investigation reveals that it was a calculated attempt to deny the statutory rights and welfare of the staff.

The document reads: “The Governing Council had directed the management to comply with the payment, but to our utmost surprise, the management falsely informed the Governing Council that it has paid the allowances with the November 2017 salary.

“Consequent upon the foregoing, the ASUP, Federal Polytechnic, Oko chapter have no other option to redress the long drawn injustices meted out to its members than to withdraw their services to the Okopoly and commence indefinite strike until the fulfillment of our demands by the management of Federal Polytechnic, Oko.

In a swift response, the Deputy Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Sir Nwabuona Ejike said that the institution was a united family who have no need causing internal crisis.

He described the ongoing issue in the institution as mere internal conflict of interest, saying that the management would fashion out modalities to resolve the issues.

Ejike insisted that the management which he is a member has good listening ears and would find everlasting solution to the disagreement.

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