Femi Falana (SAN), a human rights lawyer, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to direct public universities to pay full salaries to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Some union members who recently called off their eight-month strike had complained about receiving half-pay in October 2022. The Federal Government defended the move, claiming that varsity teachers cannot be compensated for not working.
“They 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,” the Ministry of Labour and Employment said. “Pro-rata was done because you cannot pay them for work not done. Everybody’s hands are tied.”
However, Falana stated on Sunday that the ‘no work, no pay’ policy does not apply to ASUU members.
“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.
“Furthermore, it is public knowledge that the members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) embarked on a strike that lasted two months last year. The Federal Government dragged the striking doctors to the National Industrial Court which ordered the NARD to call off the strike.
“As soon as the strike was called off, President Muhammadu Buhari jettisoned the “no work, no pay” principle and ordered the payment of the salaries for the two months that the strike lasted. On that occasion, the President overruled Dr. Ngige in the interest of industrial harmony in the health sector.
“In the same vein, the ASUU recently called off its 8-month-old strike in compliance with the order of the National Industrial Court and the Court of Appeal.
“We are therefore compelled to call on President Buhari should ignore the advice of Dr. Ngige and direct the public universities to pay the full salary of each lecturer from February to October 2022. Otherwise, the Federal Government will be accused of engaging in the selective application of the “no work, no pay” principle which is discriminatory and illegal.
“It is pertinent to draw the attention of the Federal Government to section 42 (1) of the Constitution which provides that citizens of Nigeria shall not be subjected either expressly or in the practical application of any law in force in Nigeria or any executive or administrative action of the government, to disabilities or restrictions to which other citizens are not made subject; or be accorded either expressly by, or in the practical application of, any law in force in Nigeria or any such executive or administrative action, any privilege or advantage that is not accorded to other citizens.
“In view of the foregoing, since the Federal Government is mandatorily required to treat all workers equally the members of ASUU are entitled to be treated like members of the NARD after they had called off their strike. In other words, as members of ASUU and NARD are entitled to equality of rights, obligations and opportunities before the law the lecturers should be paid their salaries withheld during the period of the recently suspended 8-month industrial action.
“However, in view of the undeniable fact that the members of the two newly registered unions in the universities were on strike like members of ASUU the plan of the Ministry of Labour and Employment to pay the Congress of University Academics their withheld salaries and rectify the ‘half salaries’ paid to all lecturers under the newly registered union should be shelved. Otherwise, the provocative agenda will cause a fresh industrial action in public universities,” Falana said.
FG reveals why lecturers received half salary
The Herald had reported that the Federal Government (FG) stated that it will not pay members of the Academic Staff of Universities (ASUU) for work that has not been completed.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the Head of Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olajide Oshundun, the Federal Government stated that ASUU members were paid their October salary pro-rata.
The government stated that pro-rata was used because lecturers cannot be paid for work that was not completed.
It went on to say that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, had not directed the Federation’s Accountant General to pay the lecturers half their salaries.
“Following the ruling of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the order of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, asking ASUU to go back to work, the leadership of the union wrote to the Minister, informing him that they have suspended the strike.
“The Federal Ministry of Education wrote to him in a similar vein and our labour inspectors in various states also confirmed that they have resumed work.
“So, the Minister wrote to the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning, directing that their salaries should be restored. They were paid in pro-rata for 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 statement partly read.
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