ASUU strike: Lecturers outstanding salaries now delaying reopening of varsities

• We won’t pay lectuers for strike period, FG insists
• ASUU vows not to end strike without full payment

Controversy over payment of outstanding salaries owed striking lecturers may further delay reopening of government universities shut about six months ago due to the industrial action called by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

While the Federal Government on Thursday insisted it would not pay the lecturers for the whole strike period, ASUU vowed not to call off the strike unless its members had been fully paid their outstanding salaries.

Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, who said the no-work no-pay policy would be fully enforced, said ASUU was free to go to court to challenge the government’s decision on the matter.

He also said students affected by the industrial action of the ASUU should sue the union.

ASUU has been on strike since February 14 over the Federal Government’s failure to meet its demands bordering on the funding of universities, salaries and allowances of lecturers as well as payment method or platform.

The strike clocked 185 days on Thursday, a development that has left students, parents and other stakeholders frustrated.

Adamu said no lecturer would not be paid salaries for the six months they are absent from work.

He said, “I think the stand that the government has taken now, not to pay for work not done, I think that’s the only thing in the hand of the government to ensure that there is penalty for some behaviour like this.

“I believe teachers will think twice before they join strike if they know that at the end, they are not going to be paid.

“The government is not acting arbitrarily. There is a law and I believe this is going to be a strong element to deter many from going on strike.”

When asked if the FG had plans to compensate students affected by the industrial action, Adamu said it should be ASUU to compensate the students, not the government.

The minister said, “Who do you assume will compensate students? The Federal Government? Probably you should take the leaders of strike unions to court to pay them; probably the court will award damages and then, we’ll see how they pay.

“We are all hit by this strike action, perhaps because students have to spend an extra one year or two, you can say, they are worst hit. If you had the chance, or the capacity to measure the effect of that on the economy, the economy is also a victim, parents are also victims.

“It’s a loss for the nation. As far as I know, JAMB will administer examinations; students will use it to process admissions into universities, nothing has changed.”