The Federal Government (FG) has stated that it will not pay members of the Academic Staff of Universities (ASUU) for work that has not been completed.
Recall that ASUU members protested the Federal Government’s decision to pay them half their salaries on Thursday.
The lecturers claimed they were only paid for 18 working days in October.
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.
On February 14, 2022, ASUU began a strike to demand a better academic environment and the welfare of its members.
However, on October 14, the union suspended its eight-month-long strike and ordered lecturers to resume academic activities immediately.
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