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The Polytechnic Academic Staff Union says it has yet to start negotiations with the federal government to resolve controversial issues in the new service plan.
The ASUP Zone D Coordinator, Dr Iloma Richard, who addressed a press conference in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, said the proposed document could seriously damage polytechnic education in the country.
“We have not yet started negotiations with the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE) on the new service package,” he said.
PUNCH Online reported that different chapters of ASUP also rejected the new service proposal for polytechnics.
National Council for Technical Education clarify The new service plan approved by the federal government on Monday is applicable to federal polytechnics and not state-owned polytechnics.
Earlier, ASUP had issued a 15-day ultimatum to NBTE until June 22 to suspend implementation of the controversial services or risk industrial action plan.
Richard, however, said the union would mobilise members to go on strike if the public polytechnic authorities did not meet ASUP’s demands.
“Since issuing the 15-day ultimatum, NBTE has failed to convene a meeting of stakeholders to resolve the dispute,” he said.
Richard said the suspension of the program’s services was necessary because some of its provisions did not meet standards.
ASUP officials said the union objected to the provision in the new plan that makes the office of the head of the federal civil service the approving authority.
He said it was discriminatory to set the minimum employment requirement for bachelor’s degree holders at second-class lower, while polytechnic graduates were required to hold higher credits.
“Expanding the cadre promotion levels of lecturers from ‘Grade 7 to Grade 9’ is unprecedented in any educational sector in the world,” he said.
He further said that the service plan was very different from the one prepared by the NBTE after more than six years of coordinated consultation with stakeholders.
Union leaders cited other contentious issues including an extra year of lecture promotion, provision of non-academic posts for academic staff and reclassification of technical staff as non-academic staff.
“It is clear that if allowed, the document will undermine career development, exacerbate existing discrimination, reduce staff morale and ultimately lead to the collapse of polytechnic education.
“In light of this, ASUP Zone D, which comprises the South-South and South-East States, endorses the call by the National Executive Committee to suspend and review all areas identified in the document.
He added: “If the union directs us to take industrial action after the ultimatum expires, we will swiftly mobilise members in the area.”
Richard said that despite the ninth day of the ultimatum, the NBTE was continuing to engage in activities that could hinder the peaceful resolution of the matter.
In May, ASUP, like its counterpart, the University Academic Staff Union, reject The country’s newly formed Federal Government-owned Polytechnic Management Board.
(exist)
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