The academic and non-academic staff unions of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, have suspended their industrial action for 21 days.

The suspension, according to the unions, is to for the state government’s intervention.

This was disclosed in a statement in Ibadan on Thursday, after the unions’ joint congress.

The statement was jointly signed by Biodun Abegunde, Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnic (SSANIP); Ibraheem Akande, Non-academic Staff Union (NASU); and T. M. Oyebola, representative of the academics staff.

The unions said they decided to call off the strike in honour of the state government.

“The congress unanimously decided to suspend its strike for 21 days, with the hope that The Polytechnic, Ibadan Council Committee headed by Prof. S. G. Odewunmi would liaise with the government to resolve the unions’ demands.

“If the government and the council fail to do the needful within the 21 days set, the unions will not have any other option than to resume their suspended strike.

“We, the unions, appeal to the stakeholders in the education sector in Oyo state and the general public to prevail on the Oyo state government to accede to the unions’ requests and save the state and the institution from avoidable embarrassment,” they said.

The polytechnic workers’ unions began the strike on January 11, demanding full implementation of minimum wage and removal of ‘Illegal Platinum Consultant,’ which was still ongoing.

(NAN)