ASUU strike unconstitutional

The federal government yesterday declared the planned nationwide strike Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as unconstitutional given that the union was yet to exhaust all the necessary mechanisms required before a strike could be embarked upon.

The government also appealed to the union to shelve its planned strike billed to commence today.

In a statement released late last night and signed by the Director of Press, Ministry of Labour and Employment, quoted the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, as urging ASUU “to rescind its decision on the strike so as to give the government an opportunity to discuss the all contending issues arising from the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) it reached with government.

Ngige explained: “In view of the prevailing circumstances, the issuance of warning strike by ASUU was unconstitutional as the body was yet to exhaust the conflict resolution mechanisms clearly mapped out in the labour laws.

“The claims of nationwide consultations by ASUU cannot be true as the Ministry of Labour and Employment which is the chief conciliator of industrial relations disputes is yet to receive a direct petition from ASUU against the federal government who is the jurisdictional employer,” the minister stated
The minister therefore “appealed to ASUU to give the present administration the opportunity to fully address its grievances which stemmed from the inactions of the past administration.”

Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday waded into the rift between the federal government and ASUU and mandated its President, Bukola Saraki, to mediate on the matter.

The union had last Monday issued an ultimatum to the federal government to fulfill the agreement it reached with it in 2009 or face a one-week warning strike.