Ngige, striking varsity workers trade words

At the resumed meeting between both parties in Abuja, Ngige said the strike contravenes both the Nigeria Labour Laws

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige and the Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions Thursday exchanged words over the ongoing strike of the unions.

At the resumed meeting between both parties in Abuja, Ngige said the strike contravenes both the Nigeria Labour Laws and the statutes of the International Labour Organisation.

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He said it was wrong for the unions to proceed on a full-blown strike when the government had already apprehended the strike according to sections 7 and 8 of the Trade Dispute Act.

“You asked for an adjournment, we gave an adjournment and you used the period of adjournment to go on full blown strike. That is not right. It is not social dialoguing. It is against ILO statutes. The ILO statute says you have a right to go on strike and your employer has a right not to pay you and use the same money to keep the enterprise going,” Ngige said.

He said the government would invoke the laws if the unions failed to observe the rules guiding social dialogue.

But in his swift reaction, NASU General Secretary, who doubles as spokesperson of JAC, Peters Adeyemi, flayed the government’s failure to honour the agreements reached on several occasions.

Referring to the issue raised by the unions about the sharing formula of N40bn Earned Allowance, Adeyemi said the unions had supported the government and should not be compensated with the denial of the rights of their members.

“How do you explain that you gave N40bn to a sector and N10bn was given to three unions? You cannot beat us and tell us not to cry,” he said.