The academic staff of polytechnics in Plateau on Tuesday joined the nationwide strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP). ASUP leadership had on Monday declared a nationwide strike to protest against an alleged anti-labour stance of the National Assembly which proposed the removal of minimum wage from the exclusive legislative list of the constitution to the concurrent list. Mr Istifanus Kumwar, Chairman of ASUP, College of Health and Technology, Pankshin, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Pankshin that the decision became necessary due to its importance to the union. “We have to join our counterparts in the nationwide strike to fight injustice being meted out to us by the powers that be; we refuse to be treated as slaves. “The national assembly must rescind its current anti-labour posture in the interest of industrial peace; the endangered soul of the tertiary institutions must be rescued, “ he said. Kumwar said the decision to join the strike was “very painful“, considering that the Plateau Government had “no-work-no-pay“ rule which would leave members losing their salaries. According to him, the strike is worth it and members in the state are prepared to take the pain to see that things turned good for ASUP. “Some of our members who engaged in strikes in the past had lost five months salaries, and here again is another sacrifice they are ready to make, “ he said.(NAN)

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