ASUU: ‘No-Work No-Pay’ Policy And The Resulting Uncertainties In Universities

The federal government decision to stick to its stance of No Work No Pay for the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is causing unrest in the university system.

LEADERSHIP gathered that lecturers received full salaries for the month of November 2022, the eight month arrears for which the union embarked on a ten month-long strike, remain unpaid by federal government.

The lecturers in October 2022 were also paid pro-rata (half-pay), according to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, which was for the eighteen working days in the month October that lecturers worked.

LEADERSHIP also gathered that the National Executive Council of ASUU is expected to hold a crucial meeting in the coming days over the half paid salary, and the non-implementation of their demands. The development is rendering unrest across tertiary institutions with students living in fear of the disrupt government’s and ASUU’s stand-off may have on their education.

At the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), ASUU Chapter, for instance, the union has directed its members to boycott forthwith departmental, faculty and Senate Council meetings aimed at approving students’ results until the salary issue is addressed. Moreso,  the branch chairman of the University of Abuja, Dr Kassim Umaru said that the National Executive Council of ASUU will decide on an action if the government fails to address the issues. He called on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Gbajabiamila to honour the agreement reached with the union, noting that the union (lecturers) was forced into the classroom through a court injunction.

“We are not going to give up until the federal government of Nigeria do the needful by paying our salaries and by also honouring the agreement signed in 2020. This government has signed several agreement with our union, not once, not twice, not thrice but refused to honour our agreement,” he said.