The Adamawa State Polytechnic chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has commenced an indefinite strike over the non payment of Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) allowance to the lecturers.
The branch chairman of the union, Dr. Coleman Goji, said the strike was in response to failure by school authorities to regularize the SIWES allowances.
The polytechnic did not join the ongoing nationwide industrial action embarked upon by other polytechnics in the country under the ASUP.
Goji, who described the strike as indefinite, said lecturers would not go back to classes until the governing council and the management of the polytechnic address their problem.
Accusing the school authorities of insensitivity to the issue, the chairman said ASUP had exhausted all channels of communication to call the attention of the management of the polytechnic but there was no response.
He said the union has discovered that Adamawa State government has released funds in respect of the SIWES allowances but the management refused to pay the lecturers.
In a press release, the Chairman Governing Council, Dr. Shehu Iya, said the council is working with the management and other stakeholders towards resolving the stand-off, calling on the striking lecturers to help in maintaining the existing industrial harmony in the institution.
"The council reaffirms that SIWES allowance was the legitimate right of the Academic Staff Union but the position of the council after the meeting still remains that it will support and facilitate the management's effort in discharging its obligations regarding SIWES allowance as far as resources can allow it when a definitive directive is received from government," the statement reads.
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