The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has intensified its efforts to secure improved compensation for its lecturers.
The demand for an upward adjustment of salaries comes as a result of what ASUP perceives as an unmet conclusion to the ASUP/FGN 2010 agreement renegotiation, which lingered unresolved into the year 2022.
Anderson Ezeibe, the president of ASUP, issued a statement on Tuesday, reiterating the union’s urgency in achieving a fair settlement regarding salaries.
He emphasised the necessity of aligning the wage structure with the current economic realities in Nigeria.
The ASUP president disclosed that the union had meticulously reviewed the wage structure recently approved and released for polytechnics, as conveyed by the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC).
According to Ezeibe, there is a pressing need to revise this new structure, which notably includes a 35 percent increase for chief lecturers and a 25 percent increase for other staff categories under the CONPCASS pay scale.
However, Ezeibe clarified that “these increases, although appreciated, fall short of ASUP’s expectations. He pointed out that the government had initially proposed a 35 percent increase for chief lecturers and a 23.5 percent increase for other staff categories during the renegotiation of the ASUP/FGN 2010 agreement in July 2022.”
Highlighting the complex economic landscape, Ezeibe noted that this offer was made by the government before the country faced the economic challenges brought on by the removal of the subsidy on premium motor spirit in May 2023.
He emphasised that the positive outcomes anticipated from this government action have already been severely undermined by the current economic realities.
Ezeibe concluded by urging the government to take into account these market conditions and the demands of the ASUP as they strive to find common ground in ongoing negotiations.
This latest development in the ongoing saga between ASUP and the government underscores the pressing need for a comprehensive resolution to address the concerns of polytechnic lecturers regarding their salaries.
As negotiations continue, both parties will face the daunting task of reconciling their positions amidst a backdrop of economic turbulence.
