The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has began its planned nationwide strike on Wednesday.

National President of the union, Usman Dutse had told newsmen on Tuesday that the union will still go ahead with the planned nationwide strike on 12th December, 2018.

Dutse had said the strike became necessary following the failure of the federal government to implement the 2009 and 2017 agreements reached with the union.

“We are commencing our strike tomorrow as scheduled. Everything is set and there is no going back. There is an invitation for a meeting on December 17, but the union will still commence the strike on Wednesday.

“I don’t know what will happen at the meeting or what they have decided, but until we meet with them, we cannot predict. I don’t know what they plan to present until we meet with them,” he had said.

Mr Duste said the strike would be comprehensive and total, until all issues raised were adequately addressed by the government, adding that all members have been issued a notice to comply and down tools by midnight of December 12.

He added that there would be no academic activities in all the polytechnics until further notice.

He listed the demands of the union to include non-implementation of Need Assessment reports of 2014 as agreed with the minister at the meeting of October 2017.