The federal government has warned the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that it will activate the “no work, no pay” labour policy following the union’s declaration of a nationwide strike.
ASUU earlier declared a two-week warning strike to commence on October 13, citing years of unmet demands.
The ministry of education, in a statement on Sunday, said ASUU has remained uncooperative despite efforts to prevent the strike.
It stressed that the “no work, no pay” policy is an “extant labour law” in Nigeria, and the government would be guided by it should university academic activities be disrupted.
“While the government continues to demonstrate goodwill and flexibility, it will not abdicate its responsibility to uphold fairness and accountability in the use of public resources,” the statement reads in part.
The ministry said dialogue remains the most effective way to resolve disagreements, stating that the government is “open to engagement at any level” to prevent “unnecessary disruption.”
The ministry appealed to all academic unions to choose “partnership and dialogue rather than confrontation.”
It sought to reassure students, parents, and the public of the government’s commitment to “maintaining industrial harmony” in the tertiary education sector.
ASUU, like other public tertiary school unions, has been at loggerheads with the government over the service conditions of lecturers.
The union has been demanding the signing of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, the release of withheld salaries, and sustainable funding for the revitalisation of public universities.
Other demands include the payment of outstanding 25-35 per cent salary arrears and promotion arrears spanning over four years.
On October 8, Tunji Alausa, the minister of education, had pleaded with the union to shelve its planned strike, assuring that negotiations with aggrieved unions in the tertiary education sector were at a final stage.
But Chris Piwuna, the ASUU president, said only concrete action beyond “promises” would halt the planned strike.
