As economic hardship continues to bite harder on most Nigerians, the Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has again called on the Federal Government to, without further delay, pay the three and half months salaries of members withheld due to the nationwide industrial action embarked upon by the public university lecturers in 2022.
The salaries were withheld when the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari invoked a “No Work, No Pay Policy” against some university-based unions that embarked on a strike that lasted eight months in 2022.
The union also urged the government to release the check-off dues of members equally seized during the same period, maintaining that its members did not join the strike at the time.
The union made the appeal in a statement signed by its Southwest zone coordinator, and chairperson at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife chapter, Dr Folasade Hunsu.
According to the group, what the government did to lump members of ASUU who went on strike with CONUA members who didn’t partake in strike is against the judgment of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, on 25 July, 2023, affirming CONUA as an independent union.
“So, since CONUA neither called for any strike nor asked members to join ASUU’s declared strike, withholding members’ three-and-a-half months salaries alongside that of ASUU members contravenes Section 43 (1b) of the Trade Disputes Act CAP. T8, which states that ‘where any employer locks out his workers, the workers shall be entitled to wages and any other applicable remunerations for the period of the lock-out and the period of the lock-out shall not prejudicially affect any rights of the workers being rights dependent on the continuity of the period of employment.
“This provision is consistent with global best practices and that is why we want the government to offset all the outstanding salaries and check- off dues to members to ensure lasting peace in our universities.
The group noted that it had complained these concerns to both the Minister of Education and that of the Labour and Employment at different times, asking for their interventions without any positive result.
“So, the attitude of the government and its agents appears to us that they “are unwilling to yield to the rulings of the court that affirmed CONUA as an independent union or obey the Trade Dispute Act CAP. T8.
“So, the government should act on these two issues without further delay as it should know that lecturers, who are denied their salaries and with no money to take care of their families and hungry as well as psychologically disturbed will not perform magic in class and on other responsibilities.”
Similarly, the union also reminded the government of its earlier call for members’ inclusion in the committee constituted recently to renegotiate the 2009 Agreement reached with the ASUU on the premise that members will also be affected by any decision reached at such deliberation and therefore its voice should be heard.
