Auchi Poly Unions Suspend Indefinite Strike

Labour unions at the Federal Polytechnic Auchi, Edo, on Monday announced the suspension of their indefinite strike embarked upon since Feb. 6.

The unions — the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (NASUP),  directed their members to return to work.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the unions conveyed the suspension of the strike in a communiqué jointly signed by their General Secretaries — Abdul-ganiyu Braimah (ASUP), Omonekhai Shaka (SSANIP) and Solomon Aliabakhalumhe (NASU).

The communique was signed after a Joint Action Congress (JAC) meeting.

It said the decision was  sequel to deliberations and resolutions reached at the inaugural meeting between the new management, led by Dr Sanusi Jimah and the executive members of the unions.

“We hereby suspend the strike, and workers are directed to resume their duties,’’ the communiqe read in part.

The unions went on strike to press home their demands for the enrollment of the members of staff into CONTISS 15 Migration Salary Structure for levels 11 downwards and payment of promotion arrears, among others.

Some members of the Auchi community in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo had on Saturday appealed to striking unions of the polytechnic to call of their strike.

They made the plea during a peaceful protest to the secretariat of the unions, appealing to them to settle their disagreements with the management and call off the strike in the interest of the institution and the community.

The community members claimed that business and commercial activities had been paralysed in the area since the commencement of the strike.