No Work No Pay: Don’t treat ASUU like other parastatals of govt – Analyst tells FG
By: Austine Emmanuel, Kaduna
Policy Analyst and Administrator, university of Abuja, Dr. Mike Idoko has reacted to the policy of ‘no work no pay’ melted against university Lecturers by the Federal government, said it is a disservice to staff and the students at large.
Dr. Idoko stated this during an interactive session with Journalists in Kaduna, on Sunday said university employees should not be treated like any other government employees should they be allowed by their employer to draw home their demand using strike action.
It could be recalled that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on eight months strike to press home the demand for improved funding for universities, a review of salaries for lecturers, among other issues, meanwhile the court of appeal sitting in Abuja on 7th October, 2022 ordered the union to call off the strike which the union did. However, the FG had said it will adopt the policy of no work no pay’ for union on the ground that academic activities were abandoned for a session.
Speaking on reasons why policy of no work no pay should not be applied to the university union, the analyst noted that the peculiarity and styles which university services are rendered by the personnel is so complex for an ordinary mind to understand, adding that the Lecturers would still not leave any stone on top as they would be made to carryout all the suspended activities upon resumption.
“The University system is not like any other government ministries or parastatals where work abandoned during strike is abandoned for ever. The university work is not a hospital work where if a patient died during hospital strike, such is dead for ever.
“As the universities reopened for activities, the lecturers will do their work in arears. They must teach all their outstanding courses abandoned during the strike, supervised the final year students project topics, prepare results for spill over students which was abandoned during the strike for university senate approval for those students to graduate as they suspend the strike.
“In thesame manner, the Senior Non Teaching staff (SSANU) in faculties and academic centres as well as academic offices must process and update students academic records which were abandoned during the strike as they resume.
“Screening of newly admitted students and issuance of Matriculation number by the Faculty officers and Academic Centres Secretaries must be done in arrears. The campuses that had been taking over by grasses and reptiles must be cleared and fumigated by the Non Academic Staff (NASU) in arears for the safety of lives and property of staff and students before arrival.
“The Security department of the Universities had been combing and keeping surveillance of the adjoining bushes and villages around campuses to ensure the security of lives and property of staff and students whe they arrive after the strike. These are all work in arrears which must be appropriately remunerated.” He said.
Idoko further reiterated that strike is the last option for resolving trade union dispute between the employer and employees as stipulated in Labour Management Relations Theories and Laws, appealed to government on the need to consider the plieght of Lecturers for the common good of the educational sector.
