ASUU strike grounds varsities, FG clamps down

ASUU strike image

Academic activities were grounded across various public universities nationwide on Monday as the Academic Staff Union of Universities began its two-week warning strike to press home its demands.

The renewed standoff between ASUU and the Federal Government was sequel to the breakdown of talks between both parties.

The strike was declared by the National President of ASUU, Prof. Chris Piwuna, in Abuja on Sunday.

This is even as the Federal Government mandated the National Universities Commission to submit the attendance list of all lecturers across public universities in seven days’ time.

But the Nigeria Labour Congress expressed solidarity for the union while berating the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, over the move to implement the no-work-no-pay policy.

The NLC president, Joe Ajaero, described the policy as an act of intimidation which he said would not resolve the crisis in the nation’s public tertiary institutions.

Alausa had claimed that the government had entered the final phase of talks with ASUU and other unions to resolve the lingering disputes over welfare, funding, and the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.

He said the Tinubu administration had already made significant progress with the release of N50bn for the payment of Earned Academic Allowances, while another N150bn had been captured in the 2025 budget for needs assessment, to be disbursed in three tranches.

Following the strike action by ASUU, Alausa in a circular on Monday directed the National Universities Commission and vice chancellors to enforce the ‘no work, no pay’ policy.

In line with the provisions of the labour laws of the federation, the Federal Government reiterated its position on the enforcement of the ‘No work, no pay’ policy in respect of any employee who fails to discharge his or her official duties during the period of strike action,” the circular reads.