Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has announced that if the Nigerian government does not pay the lecturers’ withheld eight-month salaries, they will possibly resume their strike action.
This new strike would now be a protest against the government’s ‘No-work, No-pay’ policy.
Recall that ASUU had suspended its eight-month-old strike after a National Executive Council -NEC, meeting in Abuja in October after the union had been on strike to demand improved welfare for workers and funding for universities, among other grievances.
In a September 21 ruling, the National Industrial Court granted the motion on notice filed by the Nigerian government and ordered ASUU to end the strike action and, return to classes immediately.
But, regardless of complying with the court order, the government had paid the lecturers half of their October salaries.
While reacting to the present situation, Osodeke said, “Yes, the matter continues before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, NICN, in Abuja. The court is yet to give its final judgment on it.”
He then expressed satisfaction with the ASUU members’ response to the series of demonstrations by each chapter of the union over the half-salaried payment to them in October.
