STRIKE TREND: ASUP, others ground academic activities in Delta poly

BENIN—AS the strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic, ASUP, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics, SSANIP and Non-Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, NASUP, of Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State, over improvement of welfare of members entered its fourth week, residents of the Poly’s community, have appealed to the striking unions to call of their strike in the interest of the institution and the students. They made the appeal at a peaceful protest to the secretariat of the unions and called on them to settle their differences with the management of the institution The unions in the institution are demanding that management should enrol their members on CONTISS 15 Migration Salary Structure for Level 11 downward, promotion arrears and alleged indebtedness of N1.8 billion owed the unions. Mrs Rabi Audu, Chairperson, Auchi Market Women Association during the protest, said that business and commercial activities have been paralysed in the community due to the strike by the unions. Mr Fred Ikhiodamhe, also of the community, said that they were not against the unions demanding for their wages from the management, but urged them to show understanding with the community as business and commercial activities have been paralysed due to the strike. Ikhiodamhe urged the unions to dialogue with the management to resolve the issues to enable academic and business activities resume in the community. Addressing the group, Vice Chairman of ASUP, Mr Anthony Ohimai, said the unions were already engaging the management in discussion to resolve the issues.