FG declares ASUU’s strike illegal

The Federal Government has declared that the two weeks warning strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, is illegal.

This is even as it also declared that employee cannot dictate to the employer.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige stated this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

The meeting was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Ngige said contrary to the International Labour Organization (ILO), convention, ASUU failed to give the mandatory notice to the government before embarking on strike.

“They didn’t give us the mandatory notice before they started the strike, so this strike is illegal. No employee is permitted to dictate to the employer; it is in the ILO convention,” he declared.

The labour minister explained that the bone of contention was the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) which the Federal Government introduced in 2018 to curb corruption as well as fish out ghost workers in the system.

The minister said that ASUU agreed with the government that leakages and corruption should be tackled but the peculiarities of their profession prevents them from embracing IPPIS.

He said it would amount to corruption for the university teachers not to teach the students but expect to be paid within the period they are on strike, adding that the government would invoke “no work, no pay” policy.

He, however, said that the union has men of integrity and that they would see reason why the IPPIS policy was necessary.