Anxiety As ASUU Commences NEC Meeting Over Half-Salary Payment

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has commenced an emergency meeting over the Federal Government’s decision to pay lecturers under the union half salaries for the month of October.

There is anxiety among undergraduates who had just been recalled from an 8-month strike by lecturers over what the outcome of the meeting would be.

The meeting commenced at around 12:40pm on Monday. Some of the union’s lecturers had shared that they were paid for only 18 working days in October.

A member of the Council confirmed that the meeting is currently underway, Punch reports.

Meanwhile, a legal representative to ASUU, Femi Falana SAN shared in a statement released on Sunday that the FG’s decision to pay the lecturers for only half of the month is faulty.

“In justifying the payment of half salary to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities for the month of October 2022, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige has invoked the “no-work-no- pay” clause in section 43 of the Trade Disputes Act (Cap T8) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. 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. Pro-rata was done because you cannot pay them for work not done. Everybody’s hands are tied.

“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”, he said.