Subsidy Removal Has Rubbished New Wage Review For Academic Staff — ASUP

The Academic Staff Union of the Polytechnics, ASUP, has said the recent removal of subsidy on petrol with its attendant increase in prices of goods and services, has rubbished the approval of 35 per cent and 25 per cent wage review for academic staff in Nigerian polytechnics.

The union also said the review was carried out by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2022 before the subsidy removal.

ASUP in a statement by the president, Anderson U. Ezeibe, called on the federal government to, without delay, return to the renegotiation table so that all other contentious issues would be addressed.

The statement read: “Our union has undertaken a review of the recent approval and release of a new wage structure for Nigeria’s Polytechnics as communicated through the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission, NSIWC.

“Following the review process by our Union’s team, it has become pertinent to put forward the Union’s position on this recent development for the purposes of clarity.

“The new salary structure indeed reflects an increase of 35% for chief lecturers; and 25% for other layers of staff in the CONPCASS salary structure.

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“This increase is a slight adjustment on the offer of 35% and 23.5% made by the government in the process of the renegotiation of ASUP/FGN 2010 agreement in July, 2022. The offer fell short of our union’s demands during the renegotiation process.

“While the union was considering the offer last year, with a view to a response, the renegotiation process went into an unwelcome hiatus as the government team has not resumed the process of renegotiation since then.

“While it is instructive to underline our union’s acknowledgement of the approved adjustment in our salaries as positive, we call on the government to ensure immediate implementation and release of the arrears.