ACCOUNTS OF MARCH 7th MEETING AS STREAMED LIVE BY NASU-KPT CHAIRMAN Dear Colleagues, this is a blow by blow account of what transpired at the Chairmen of Councils and Chapter Chairmen of the three Unions in Polytechnics today at the NCCE, as streamed to us live in a KadPoly Staff Forum by one of the sister unions Chairmen. Note please, this is not to preempt what will be our Unions final release. Just to share what we (in that forum) had privilege of monitoring. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chairman of Chairmen of Council welcomes delegates. Opening prayers by ASUP national president. Chief Babalola posited that the main agenda for the meeting is to see to how to resolve the current strike, but called on the NBTE boss to draw up additional agenda. Introduction of all delegates and members ongoing... Council chairmen introduced selves... Director NCCE gives welcome address on behalf of the Executive Secretary NCCE, Prof M.J. Junaid. Council Chair submitted that councils are desirous for a positive change in the polytechnics which can only b achieved when. Workers are motivated, but from all indicators, that doesnt presently obtain as agreements which were freely entered by govt on the one hand n the unions were being violated. He decried the continuous closure of d institutions and tendered that it was out of concern that they conveyed the present meeting EXECUTIVE SECRETARY (ES) OF NBTE NBTE Sec was called upon to brief the house on current situation. In addressing the House he had the followings to say: (The ES thanked God for safe trip of all delegates, and prayed God to grant d sitting successful deliberations, admitted that the unfortunate situation we found ourselves was very sad... He prayed that the turnout of d current meeting shall resolve the impasse) ES NBTE sought for permission to be allowed to restrict his speech to only the issue of C-15 to which the Chair of Council approved... According to the ES ASUP earlier had a gentleman agreement with the Minister that the 20.4b should be paid in two instalments; and that the Minister had gone ahead to convey same to Mr President. But that ASUP was to later called on the Minister rejecting the offer. Following ASUPs alleged u-turn, the NBTE boss said he had to resort to the Chairman of Council chairmen to prevail on other council chairmen to intervene in the matter. ES also stated that following the discovery that the cost implications for C-15 was yet to be included in d 2014 budget, the Budget office was swiftly contacted about 2 weeks ago and requested that provisions be made on the Ministry of Education Budget for C-15 inclusion, which had just been complied with. The ES thereafter concluded his speech by appealing to the unions to accede to governments position to pay the C-15 arrears in two instalments in the overall interest of the nation, for peace, the suffering students, their parents and for the good of the educational sector; and that we do not compare ourselves with the universities or in the manner they (ASUU) behaved. SSANIPs RESPONSE SSANIP Rep in his response queried the hosting of the current meeting in the NCCE building rather than the building of NCP - National Commission for Polytechnics which the Union had been agitating for... He was however to state that the Union shall make further comments as the meeting progresses seeing SSANIP aint on strike... ASUPS RESPONSE ASUP president expressed appreciation to the Council Chairman for trying to resolve the current impasse. ASUP tendered that the presence of her members at the fora was borne out of deep respect the Union has for the council members, otherwise ASUP would have stayed away. ASUP further handed down that their Branch Chairmen whom had been invited to the meeting had no place in the Unions constitution to sanction or suspend strike; and that it would have amounted to disrespect if the Union had requested her chairmen to stay away from the meeting, and called on Council to note that those present at the meeting cannot make any commitment on behalf of the Union. ASUP stated that she wished that the Executive arm take the current strike seriously. ASUP decried the absence of the Minister of Education was not in attendance at the current meeting. They accused the minister of education of deliberate and conscious misinterpretation to pitch the govt and the public against ASUPs demand as solely that of C-15. ASUP reminded that earlier strike was suspended because govt gave assurance to the Union at the level of the Sec to Govt of the federation that the Unions demands would be met, but turned out to be a ruse. ASUP president lamented that the Union began its strike before ASUU, but for the fact that government places premium on university education over polytechnics, attention was shifted to ASUU strike until it was resolved; while govt continue to treat ASUPs demand with kid gloves. In chronicling his speech, the ASUP president tendered that the best that can be obtained at the meeting was that, if theres a proposal from the Council chairmen to ASUP on the way forward on the strike, same should be articulated and obliged the union for onward transmission to NECs... NASUs RESPONSE... While responding, NASU General Secretary submitted that the unions position do not differ from ASUPs as there has been a synergy between the two unions as far as the strike was concerned. He took a swipe at the attempt by the Minister of Education to break the ranks of the unions by the manner in which invitations were sent to all Branch chairmen for the meeting without recourse to the administrative structure of the Union at the centre. NASU tendered that the Union is not striking against Council chairmen, and that the strike was not just about C-15; but that the union is dealing with a government that is insensitive; and that the Union had written to the senate and house of rep for audience but to no avail... NASU pointed out that while the negotiations with ASUU was ongoing, it witnessed a steady ascent of intervention from the lowest echelon through to the Minister, the senate, the vice president, and finally to the highest level of Mr President; but all that obtained for the polytechnics is a feet-dragging intervention from NBTE to the Minister, and a descent back to NBTE and now to Council chairmen. NASU reminded council that it was difficult to resolve at the fora that the strike gonna be suspended, seeing that nothing had changed since the Unions meeting of 29th January 2014 with government to warrant a new position from the Union NASU queried why pick March and November for payment?, when the same government just released unbudgeted 240billion TETFUNDs funds to universities before our very eyes? yet govt is said to go broke if she pays her debt of 20.4b of arrears of legitimately earned salaries to Polytechnics and COEs staff! NASUs final position was that C-15 arrears MUST be paid in a single instalment whenever govt had the fund either in march, November or even in 2015, but until the payment is made, the union remains on strike. Different appeals were subsequently made from all council chairmen to the unions to get back to her NEC and appeal for acceptance of payments in two instalments. Three committees were constituted to comprise each of the respective unions representatives to draw up their positions for transmission to the Minister; thereafter the meeting came to a close with silence and prayers observed for the students of federal govt college who were recently massacred by boko haram. Therefore the Unions concluded that the strike will continue until NECs of ASUP and NASU decide otherwise. ___________________________
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 14:25:27 +0000
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