-As FG introduces ‘no work no pay rule’

The Federal Government has been urged to show sincerity in the current efforts to resolve the 10-month-old strike of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) instead of its present attitude of insensitivity and intimidation.

The national President of ASUP, Mr. Chibuzo Asomugha expressed this view in an exclusive interview with a news correspondent recently.

Asomugha, who recalled that there have been several interventions especially by the Senate Committee on Education, explained that the strike which commenced on April 29, 2013 was suspended on July 17 last year on the understanding that government was going to resolve four of the issues government chose by itself within two weeks.

According to him, three months into the suspension, government hadn’t done anything hence the resumption of the strike in October 4, 2013.  He said “Since then, I would say that government attitude towards workers in the technical sector has been one of snobbery, one of insensitivity, intimidation and total disdain for the sector especially the students and their parents”.

On the ‘no work no pay policy’ which the Federal Government imposed on the striking lecturers last month, the ASUP President described it as “chastisement” on their members and “a very clueless move because it is capable of worsening the crisis rather mitigating it.

Asomugha recalled that in the proposal the Minister made on the arrears owed lecturers, he gave a March date “We are still discussing with him on that date, but in March, instead of paying us he is giving us a ‘no work no pay order”, so where is the sincerity of government”.

“As far as ASUP is concerned, we have done all that we think we should do as compromise to actually bring this imbroglio to an end.  What we have is a government that has failed totally on the part of the whole bargain”, lamented Asomugha.

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