ASUU says FG’s ‘no work, no pay’ policy will not end strike

Chris Piwuna, president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), says the union will not be cowed by the federal government’s threat to enforce the ‘no work, no pay’ policy.

On Sunday, the union declared a comprehensive two-week warning strike after an ultimatum issued on September 28 expired.

Earlier on Monday, the federal government ordered universities to apply the ‘no work, no pay’ rule against lecturers participating in the two-week warning strike.

Tunji Alausa, minister of Education, also directed vice-chancellors to conduct physical headcounts of staff and submit compliance reports to the National Universities Commission (NUC) within seven days.

He said the directive would not affect members of the Congress of University Academics (CONUA) and the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA), who are not part of the strike.

Alausa added that the government had met all of ASUU’s demands and described the industrial action as unnecessary.

ASUU, however, disagreed, insisting that key issues contained in the 2009 agreement remained unresolved.

Speaking on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, Piwuna said the union remained firm and united.

He added that the government’s “attempt to divide” the academic community would not succeed.

“We don’t respond to threats, and nobody can threaten us,” he said.

The ASUU leader also accused the minister of education of trying to isolate other academic unions from the ongoing strike.

“He is threatening us, writing to NAMDA and CONUA, telling them they can get their salaries. He wants to divide us, but we are united in this matter,” Piwuna said.

“CONUA is with us, NAMDA is with us, SSANU and NASU are with us. Even polytechnics and colleges of education support our action.”

Piwuna advised Alausa to focus on resolving the industrial crisis rather than issuing ultimatums.

“He had better sit down and solve this problem because he will fail if he tries to break our unity,” he added.

The ASUU president said the union remained open to dialogue with the government.

“Today, the minister of state for labour called me and said she has been directed to intervene. ASUU is willing and ready to discuss this matter once and for all,” he said.

The union has been at loggerheads with the government over the service conditions of lecturers, the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, the release of withheld salaries, and sustainable funding for the revitalisation of public universities.