The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics has warned state governments owing lecturers several months of salaries to pay up immediately or face industrial action.
The President of the union, Anderson Ezeibe, at the 106th meeting of the National Executive Council held in Abuja on Wednesday, vowed to ensure that all members owed by the government are paid before the expiration of their administrations on May 29.
Speaking in an angry tone, the president condemned the governors, noting that it is a sad commentary that academics are owed salaries in the current economic dispensation.
The president specifically mentioned that its members in Abia state institutions are currently owed salaries for over 40 months.
He also noted that its members are also owed in Plateau, Osun, Benue, Edo and Ondo state polytechnics.
He said,
“As a union, our responsibility to our employer is to come to work, perform our duties, and leave with the hope that at the end of the month, our employers will behave themselves and pay us our emoluments in full.
“But unfortunately, some state governments have continued to play with the livelihoods of staff of polytechnics in their respective states. Abia State Polytechnic Aba where staff are owed for over 40 months; Polytechnics and Monotechnics owned by the Plateau State government, Polytechnics and Monotechnics owned by the Osun state government, Polytechnics and Monotechnics owned by the Benue state government, Polytechnic owned by the Ondo State Government and The Polytechnic owned by the Edo state government are owed backlogs of their salaries.
“The union is unhappy with the situation and requests that salaries are paid immediately or face massive industrial actions or shut down the institution till the state is ready to fund the polytechnics.”
Speaking further on other demands of the union, Ezeibe requested the immediate release of all withheld third-party check-off deductions from the salaries of members and the recommencement of the union/FG renegotiation
process.
“Our union demands that the outgoing state governments of Abia, Osun, Plateau, Benue, Edo, Ondo, Ogun and Sokoto fulfill their obligations to our members by releasing owed salaries and withheld check-off dues.
“We are equally demanding the first recommencement of the union/FG renegotiation process to usher in a new dispensation of staff welfare in the sector,” he added.