Federal Government may have begun enforcement
of “no work, no pay” rule on university teachers
who are now on an indefinite strike called by the
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and
other university-based unions.
Daily Independent gathered from a reliable source
close to the National Universities Commission
(NUC) that government had given directive to the
various universities’ governing councils to halt
payment of salaries of the striking lecturers.
The development was confirmed on Thursday in
Abuja shortly after a zonal conference of ASUU at
the University of Abuja, Gwagwalada campus, to
review the strike that has paralysed the university
system for over three months.
ASUU Zonal Chairman, Clement Chup, said his
colleagues are yet to receive their September
salaries.
He said they have, therefore, resorted to other
welfare strategies to cope with the effect of the
non-payment of salaries, in a bid to contain the
attempt by government to break the resolve of the
union.
“The Federal Government has through the National
Universities Commission directed universities to
stop the payment of our salaries effective
September this year and since then our salaries
have not been paid.”
Part of the welfare strategy, he said, involves
distributing food items, giving out soft loans and
cash advances to members.
Chup said Nigerians should disregard rumours
making the rounds that the three-month-old strike
has been called off, saying “the strike continues
until the government demonstrates a positive
inclination towards implementing the 2009
agreement and the 2012 memorandum of
understanding signed by both parties.”
Meanwhile, General Secretary of the Non Academic
Staff Union of Universities (NASU), Peters Adeyemi,
said strike has been beneficial to the academic
system.
At a separate forum in Abuja on Thursday to
announce the coming back of NASU into the fold of
the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Adeyemi said
strike has helped in saving the education sector
from total collapse, as it has compelled government
to be alive to its responsibility in the sector.
He said some of the benefits currently being
enjoyed in the tertiary education sector have come
as a result of strike.
He cited the N130 billion for infrastructure and
earned allowances recently released by the Federal
Government through the Needs Implementation
Committee chaired by Benue State Governor,
Gabriel Suswan.
“The government had already pledged to release
N400 billion for infrastructure since 2013; N100
billion for four years. But if not for the ongoing
strike, they would not have released the first N100
billion.
“Why does the government have to wait for strike
before implementing agreements?” Adeyemi asked.
He added that although NASU is not on strike, the
salaries of its members have not been paid for
several months, which has led to some local
chapters embarking on strike.
Adeyemi added that the union is currently
restraining itself, but cannot understand why its
members’ salaries are being withheld.
He blamed government for the spate of strike in the
tertiary education sector.
“Government negotiators have to know their
onions, they must know the capacity and limitation
of government, but if on behalf of government, they
entered an agreement to provide N1.3 trillion, then
the government is bound by that agreement.
“Yes, N130 billion is a lot of money, but is that what
they said they will provide in the agreement? When
you know you are not in a position to do something,
you should not promise that.
“You cannot have an agreement, then after three
years come back and say you want to renegotiate
that agreement,” he said.
Organised Labour, under the aegis of the Nigeria
Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress
(TUC), has also called on the Federal Government to
explore more options of dialoguing with ASUU to
put an end to the lingering crisis in the education
sector.
Labour warned that the alleged ‘no work, no pay’
directive by the Federal Government to the
respective universities would worsen the ongoing
crisis.
NLC Acting Secretary, Chris Uyot, while insisting
that dialogue is the only solution to the strike,
stressed that no work no pay will further create
more crisis.
“We urge the government to decisively tackle the
crises in the education sector in order to prevent a
total shut-down of the sector.
“We urge the Federal Government to muster all the
necessary will and skill to confront the issues that
threaten the education sector before the bubble
burst.
“This is because any threat by the Federal
Government will not bring an end to the lingering
crisis in the education sector,” he added.
Also, Secretary General of TUC, Musa Lawal, who
insisted that government’s threat may further fuel
the ongoing crisis in the education sector, said: “We
urge the government to dialogue with the ASUU as
any threat has grave implications for the education
sector and should be avoided, at least for the sake
of our children.
“There is need for the Federal Government to put in
place all that is needed for crisis in the education
sector to be resolved because the strike by ASUU,
for instance, is in its fourth month and has almost
certainly disrupted an entire academic session with collateral consequences,” the TUC scribe said.
dailyindependentnig.com/2013/10/ASUU-strike-fg-begins-no-work-no-pay-policy/

A similar thread already exists
https://www.nairaland.com/1473632/fg-stops-salaries-striking-lecturers