The President of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Dr Chibuzor Asomugha, on Wednesday said the Federal Government had stopped paying the striking lecturers salaries since March 21.
Asomugha told newsmen in Abuja that the “no-work-no pay rule’’ had forced the union to device other measures of sustaining its members.
He accused the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, of “ working at cross purposes with the union in the ongoing action instead of holistically addressing the issues surrounding it’’.
The ASUP president said the minister was not doing enough to resolve the face-off between the union and the government which led to the strike.
Asomugha said government had so far failed to keep to its promises at different occasions.
He said that President Goodluck Jonathan was kept in the dark on the union’s action, saying ASUP had lost confidence in the minister.
He, however, expressed the hope that the Minister of labour, Chief Chukwuemeka Wogu-led negotiating committee set up by Jonathan would bring an end to the strike.
The ASUP president said they might call off the 10 months old strike immediately the union got a feedback on the renegotiated demands from the new committee.