FG Enforces No-Work-No-Pay Rule On Striking Lecturers

The Federal Government has directed the enforcement of the no-work-no-pay policy on members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) participating in the ongoing nationwide strike.

The directive was contained in a circular dated October 13 and signed by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa.

According to the circular, the government expressed disappointment with ASUU’s decision to embark on strike despite ongoing engagements and appeals for dialogue. It stated that the industrial action was unnecessary and would disrupt the academic calendar and the progress achieved in the education sector.

Alausa instructed vice-chancellors of federal universities to immediately implement the no-work-no-pay rule in line with existing labour laws. He said any academic worker who failed to perform official duties during the strike would not be entitled to salary payments for that period.

Roll-Call And Compliance Checks

The minister further directed all vice-chancellors to conduct a roll-call and physical headcount of academic staff in their institutions, identifying those who are present and performing their duties.

He explained that the exercise would help the government determine compliance levels and ensure that lecturers who continued to work were not penalised.

Academic staff under the Congress of University Academics (CONUA) and the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) were exempted from the policy, as both unions have not joined the strike.

The circular also mandated the National Universities Commission (NUC) to monitor compliance and submit a consolidated report to the Ministry of Education within seven days.

We’ve Met All ASUU Demands, No Basis For Strike – FG

Alausa maintained that the government had met every major demand raised by ASUU and remained open to further discussions to resolve outstanding issues.

He emphasised that the administration of President Bola Tinubu had made efforts to improve the welfare and working conditions of university lecturers, including steps toward implementing parts of the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement and addressing salary-related concerns.

Background

ASUU had on Sunday announced a two-week warning strike effective from October 13, citing the government’s failure to honour agreements on university funding, lecturers’ welfare, and the release of withheld salaries.

The union said the strike was aimed at pressing for lasting solutions to what it called the “neglect” of the public university system.

However, the government maintains that it has fulfilled all commitments and that the strike was unwarranted. It appealed to ASUU to suspend the industrial action and resume academic activities across campuses.