ASUU: Falana Describes Half Salary As ‘Legally Misleading’, As ASUU Meets Today

By Adadainfo

The National Executive Council of the Academic Staff Union of Universities will meet this morning to deliberate on the ‘no work, no pay’ stance of the federal government.

This followed the half-October salaries paid to lecturers after they called off their eight months old strike following the ruling of the National Industrial Court.

Meanwhile, some lecturers have expressed frustration over the half salaries paid to them.

A lecturer at the Department of Microbiology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, who refused to be mentioned, said, “The consequences of the half salary payment are many. Our morale is low. We feel we don’t belong.

“As I speak with you, some energetic Unizik lecturers have left to lecture at some African countries, such as Burundi, Kenya, Ghana and the Gambia. I don’t see any reason of remaining here when the government is not sensitive to our plights.”

Meanwhile, the counsel to the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Mr Femi Falana, has faulted the payment of half salaries to university lecturers.

Falana, in a statement, described the payment as ‘legally misleading’.

Quoting him, “According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the lecturers were paid in pro rata to the number of days that they worked in October, counting from the day that they suspended their industrial action.

“The position of the Federal Government is factually faulty and legally misleading. Since the industrial action was called off, the public universities have adjusted their calendars to ensure that the 2021–2022 academic session is not cancelled. Consequently, students are currently taking lectures or writing examinations that were disrupted during the strike of the ASUU.

“Therefore, having regard to the facts and circumstances of the ASUU strike, the doctrine of ‘no work, no pay’ is totally inapplicable, as students who were not taught during the strike are currently attending lectures and writing examinations.

“Furthermore, it is public knowledge that the members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors embarked on a strike that lasted two months last year. The Federal Government dragged the striking doctors to the National Industrial Court, which ordered the NARD to call off the strike. As soon as the strike was called off, President Muhammadu Buhari jettisoned the ‘no work, no pay’ principle and ordered the payment of the salaries for the two months that the strike lasted.

“On that occasion, the president overruled Dr Chris Ngige in the interest of industrial harmony in the health sector.

“In view of the foregoing, since the Federal Government is mandatorily required to treat all workers equally, the members of ASUU are entitled to be treated like members of the NARD after they had called off their strike.

“In other words, as members of ASUU and NARD are entitled to equality of rights, obligations, and opportunities before the law, the lecturers should be paid their salaries withheld during the period of the recently suspended 8-month industrial action.”