The hope of the members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the public universities to get their withheld over eight-month salaries by the Federal Government was today dashed as the National Industrial Courts (NIC) criminalises strike action by the Union ruling in favour of the government in no work no pay in the suit filed against the academic body.
In a judgment delivered today by the President of the Court, Justice Benedict Kanyip, the court held that the no work no pay rule enforced by the Federal Government against members of ASUU who went on strike last year is perfectly legal.
Justice Kanyip held that it is within the right of the Federal Government to withhold the salaries of workers who embark on industrial action.
However, it held that it is a violation of university autonomy for the Federal Government to impose the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) platform on members of ASUU who reserve the right to determine how their salaries should be paid.
ASUU on February 14 embarked on strike, which lasted eight months, to press home its demands for a better welfare package, and revamping the nation’s education sector among others.
The strike forced many Nigerian students to be at home and the government consequently insisted that the lecturers would not be paid for the period.
