ASUP Reaches Agreement With Nigerian Govt, Suspends Warning Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has called off its two-week warning strike and instructed its members across the country to return to work on Monday.

Recall that the union had embarked on a two-week warning strike on December 2 over alleged neglect of polytechnics in Nigeria.

ASUP National President, Shammah Kpanja, said the union suspended the strike following a meeting with officials of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Kpanja, in a statement released on Friday, said a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, was signed and another meeting would be held on January 23, 2025, to put an end to the industrial dispute.

He further stated that the union’s National Executive Council will meet to review the situation ahead of the meeting with the government in January.

The statement reads, “The general public may recall that our union declared a two-week definite strike effective 2nd December 2024 over the inability of the government through its agencies to execute nine items in the work plan jointly developed with our Union to resolve some pending issues of trade dispute.

“You will also recall that a strike was declared to serve as a warning and precursor to an indefinite strike.

“Within the period of the strike, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment convened a conciliation meeting between our Union and the government on the 9th of December 2024 to resolve the dispute and save the sector from the impending indefinite strike.

“At the meeting, a new memorandum of understanding was signed with a caveat that another meeting will be held on 23rd January 2025 to assess compliance by parties as well as to address other issues.

“After this meeting, the union’s National Executive Council will meet to review the situation.

“In view of this development, all members of the Union are directed to resume duties from Monday 16th December 2024.”