Minimum Wage: Polytechnic Staff Begin 14-day Warning Strike To Pressure FG, State Govts

From Ameachi Prosper (The New Diplomat’s Delta State Correspondent)

In an effort to press home their demands and make the federal and state governments clear all backlogs of arrears and salaries owed the polytechnic staff, Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP), has called on its members to down their tools for 14 days to enable government at all levels defray all what its owing its members in connection with minimum wage.

A release signed by the Acting National Secretary of the association, Comrade Emmanuel Enyiegor, gave directive to staff of polytechnic to proceed on strike.

Part of association’s reasons for proceeding on the warning strike was occasioned by the constant neglect of the association’s demands by federal/state governments, inspite of several attempts by members of the association to give government soft landing.

According to the release,”This is to bring to the attention of all the members that the General Executive Council had on Dec. 17 2020, approved the commencement of 14-day warning strike with effect from Jan. 4.

“Members are by this notice directed to refrain from going to office from Monday Jan. 4, 2021.

“We demand the immediate re-evaluation and implementation of NEEDS assessment report and release of funds for the Polytechnic sector without further delay.

“We demand the complete payment of salaries and arrears of minimum wage for staff in the Polytechnic sector starting from the period of implementation in April 2019.

“We demand for the release of scheme of service for Polytechnics immediately. This has been put on hold by the National Board for Technical Education for three years without any concrete explanation.”

The Polytechnic staff expressed displeasure over nonchalant attitude of governments of Benue, Cross River, Abia, Ondo, Ogun, Osun and Kano for refusing to pay the exact outstanding salaries owed the Polytechnics and Colleges of Health staff.

“The union decries the nonchalant attitude of the Integrated Personal Payroll Information System to issues of SSANIP as regards salaries of members.

The aggrieved staff vowed not to return to classes until their demands are met.

“We demand the constitution of Governing Councils in all federal and state Polytechnics,” the release stressed.