The intractable labour dispute at the Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe in Bayelsa State has attracted the attention of the Minister of Education, Tunji Alauda.
Our correspondent gathered at the weekend that the minister has summoned parties to the industrial dispute that left the institution shut since July 11 to a meeting on September 29.
It was learnt that the chairmen and secretaries of the three unions in the polytechnic, the rector and the governing council chairman are expected at the meeting.
The invited unions are the Non Academic Staff Union, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Politechnics (SSANIP) and Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP).
The meeting follows a joint petition to the minister over the suspension of a governing council meeting to resolve the labour dispute on the grounds of insecurity.
The workers had in the petition submitted that the claim of insecurity was a ploy to avert pending probe of allegations against the rector as there was no security threat in Bayelsa State to warrant suspension when the council members were already in town for the meeting.
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The unions said that only the suspension, pending investigation of the Rector, Agbabiaka Lukman, will guarantee industrial harmony in the institution.
The workers had kept the institution under lock for alleged violation of the Polytechnic Act by the rector who took the three unions to court over labour disputes, whereas the governing council was statutorily mandated under the Act to handle labour related matters.
When contacted for an update on the face-off, Mr Nimizuo Pereseigha, Public Relations Officer of Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe declined to comment.
