Bala Mohammed, the Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) Abubakar Tatari-Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi, says lecturers of the polytechnic will not participate in the seven days warning strike declared by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Mohammed said this on Wednesday at a news conference in Bauchi, adding that the academic staff under ASUP would not take part in the strike “because we were not briefed as a union or a body about the nationwide NLC strike.”
NLC has directed workers to proceed on nationwide seven days warning strike with effect from Thursday, Sept. 26 sequel to delay in negotiations for new minimum wage by the Federal Government.
However, the Abubakar Tatari-Ali Polytechnic ASUP chairman said “after due consultation electronically across the country, we resolved not to join the strike as a registered trade union and we have right to take our decision.”
According to the chairman, lecturers of the polytechnic have no interest in the strike and will continue with their academic activities.
He added that “ASUP will not go on strike. As at today, no lecturer has told me that they want to go on strike. We are not participating in any national strike.
“We are, therefore, calling on our academic staff and students to come for lectures. We are doing this in the interest of education and our youths.”
The union chairman added that ASUP had no issues with the Bauchi State Government “and if there was any, we would resolve it amicably.”
He, therefore, stressed that “normal academic activities will continue on Thursday.”