ASUU Strike: Ngige Seeks NLC’s Intervention to Resolve Dispute

•FG inaugurates committee on renegotiation of agreement with university lecturers

Onyebuchi Ezigbo and
Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to advise   its affiliate, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to abide by the provisions of the Trade Disputes Act and call off its ongoing strike.

This is just as the federal government yesterday inaugurated a seven-man committee tasked with the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement it reached with ASUU.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2022 edition of the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) in Lagos, yesterday, Ngige also urged the NLAC to discuss as part of its agenda, a workable recipe that appropriately conciliates disputes with associations not properly registered as trade unions, to ensure that they fully abide, by the provisions of the law.  

“They came for conciliation, only for them to go back and continue the strike. This is illegal. The law is that once a dispute is apprehended, everybody returns to status quo ante. The law also says that if I arrest a dispute and the party or parties are not ready to conform, I should transfer the dispute within 14 days to either  the Industrial Arbitration Panel or to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in line with section 17 of the Trade Disputes Act . “But I’m concerned that if do this suo motu, this will not solve the problem getting our children back to school outright 

 “So, I’m using this opportunity to plead with the NLC to which ASUU is affiliated, to call them to order, make them obey the law, to let them know what the Trade Disputes Act says and as university teachers who are even teaching industrial law, to abide by the law.

“They should call off that strike. That strike was not appropriately instituted. I have conciliated, and made sure the issues in disputes have been decisively been dealt with,” the minister said.

A statement signed by the Deputy Director Press and Public Relations at the ministry, further quoted the minister as having faulted the procedure taken by ASUU to embark on their strike.

“What will be the relationship with workers’ organisations that are not properly registered as trade unions? The Labour Act is there and it says the minister can discuss with them. But they don’t fully conform with legal provisions, especially in terms of style of negotiation and conciliation. NLAC should therefore come to the aid of the country here.

 “Even though the Trade Disputes Act permits the Minister to apprehend and deal with these workers that have not been registered as unions, you can also see that when dealing with them, you encounter problems because they do not fully understand the nuisances or obey the labour laws as it should be.

 “If you are a union, you give adequate notice before proceeding on strike.  If you are a union too and your strike is apprehended, you go back to your work while necessary adjustment is made to give you justice. NLAC is expected to get the workers side of the tripartite live up to their responsibilities in this regard,” he added.

The minister noted that some associations in critical sectors of health and education such as Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) National Association of Resident Doctors(NARD) were in actual fact, not properly unionised.

 “The Nigeria Medical Association is not a trade union; the National Association of Resident Doctors is not a trade union. They are association of workers.

“The university teachers are registered under the Academic Staff Union of Universities and are affiliated to the Nigerian Labour Congress but that affiliation is only in name. It is not indeed because they don’t obey the Labour Act as it concerns conciliation.

 “For example, ASUU declared a month strike and called it warning strike. It did not notify their employer, the Ministry of Education, neither did they notify me, the Minister of labour that there is a breakdown in negotiation. “I know that they had some discussions which was in limbo, but I should be notified properly so that I can arrest the breakdown and bring it forward for properly conciliation.”

Ngige recalled numerous benefits of the Council especially as they relate to the review of the labour laws and adoption  of the various conventions of the ILO and commended the federal government for moving ahead with global best practices even while working to adopt the conventions.

The minister referred to Convention 102 which is on social security, listing the pillars to include comprehensive medical care, compensation for accidents at work, workers’ insurance and maternal health, saying the Employee Compensation Act 2010, National Health Insurance Scheme as well maternity and now paternity leave currently being accessed by public servants are in this direction.  He restated the commitment of the Ministry to ensuring regular meeting of the council. 

FG Inaugurates Seven-man Committee

The federal government yesterday inaugurated a seven-man committee tasked with the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement it reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The committee which has three months to conclude its renegotiations would be chaired by Pro-Chancellor, Alex Ekweme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Emeritus Professor Nimi Briggs.

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, revealed that the terms of reference of the committee would include to liaise and consult with relevant stakeholders to finalise the position of the federal government to the issues in the draft proposed in FGN/ASUU renegotiated agreement.

He said the committee was expected to renegotiate in realistic and workable terms, the 2009 agreements with other university-based unions, as well as recommend any other issue the committee deemed relevant to reposition the Nigeria University System for global competitiveness amongst others.

“For the terms of reference, the committee which is expected to review the draft proposed by FGN/ASUU Agreement, has the following Terms of Reference:

“Liaise and consult with relevant stakeholders to finalise the position of the Federal Government to the issues in the draft proposed FGN/ASUU Renegotiated Agreement; renegotiate in realistic and workable terms the 2009 Agreements with other University-Based Unions; negotiate and recommend any other issue the Committee deems relevant to reposition the NUS for global competitiveness.

“Submit proposed draft agreements within three months from the date of inauguration.”

Other members of the committee are Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Wukari; Lawrence Patrick Ngbale, who represents North-east; Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, Prof. Funmi Togunu-Bickersteth, representing South-west and Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Lokoja, Senator Chris Adighije, representing South-east.

Also on the team are Pro-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Prof. Olu Obafemi from North-central; Pro-Chancellor, Kano State University of Science & Technology, Prof. Zubairu Iliyasu, representing North-west; and Pro-Chancellor, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Mathew Seiyefa from South-south.

ASUU is currently on a one-month warning strike which commenced on February 14.

Members of the union are seeking for improved welfare, revitalisation of public universities and academic autonomy, among other demands.

However, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, had maintained that the federal government doesn’t have the money to pay the amount the union was insisting on, citing low oil prices during the Muhammadu Buhari administration.