The federal government has appealed to the Academic staff union of Nigerian Universities ASUU to obey the Labour law,call off the strike and go back to the classroom.
The government said the decision by the university lecturers to embark on one month warning strike is against the provision of the Trade Disputes Act.
The government therefore enjoined the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to advise its affiliate, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to obey the laid down rules stipulated in the Labour Act.
The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige in a statement signed by Deputy Director Press and Public Relations in the ministry ,Charles Akpan noted that some associations in critical sectors of health and education such as Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) National Association of Resident Doctors(NARD) were in actual fact, not properly unionised.
“The university teachers are registered under the Academic Staff Union of Universities and are affiliated to the Nigerian Labour Congress but that affiliation is only in name . It is not indeed, because they don’t obey the Labour Act as it concerns conciliation.
“For example, ASUU declared a month strike and called it warning strike . It did not notify their employer , the Ministry of Education , neither did they notify me , the Minister of labour that there is a breakdown in negotiation . I know that they had some discussions which was in limbo but I should be notified properly so that I can arrest the breakdown and bring it forward for properly conciliation
“Now, I apprehended the dispute in consonance with the Labour Act. They came for conciliation, only for them to go back and continue the strike. This is illegal .
“So, I’m using this opportunity to plead with the NLC to which ASUU is affiliated, to call them to order, make them obey the law, to let them know what the Trade Disputes Act says and as university teachers who are even teaching industrial law, to abide by the law. They should call off that strike. That strike is not appropriately instituted . I have conciliated and made sure the issues in disputes have been decisively been dealt with,” he said.