Putting college unions, consisting of the instructional team of workers Union of Universities and Senior staff association of Nigerian Universities, have lamented the impact of the no-work-no-pay policy invoked through the Federal authorities, pronouncing it turned into intended to weaken their resolve.
The countrywide President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke; and SSANU’s national Vice-President, Dr Abdussobur Salaam, spoke in separate interviews with The PUNCH.
Osodeke informed our correspondent that the last time he obtained his income turned into in February, including that the government’s method of withholding their salaries is supposed to weaken their remedy over the union’s demands.
He but said individuals of the union could remain steadfast even if they’ll need to do menial jobs or embark on farming to get money.
He delivered that three weeks after they had the remaining meeting with the renegotiation committee, nothing were heard from the authorities.
He stated, “we have not heard anything from the government. That is the third week after the assembly with the renegotiation committee headed with the aid of Prof. Briggs. We can maintain waiting until they respond.
“Ngige believes that our contributors turns into hungry and beg them, but we are able to no longer beg them. We’re ready to anticipate a year, years, until they reply.
“If it manner doing taxi paintings, selling groundnut, doing farming to feed, we will engage in the ones ventures however he ought to be relaxation confident that his strategy of withholding our salaries will now not work.”
Salaam corroborated Osodeke’s role, saying the government has resolved to use coercive method thru revenue stoppage.
He said, “The government itself has been delaying the technique of negotiations. It appears they’re comfy with allowing the strike to linger long due to the fact there was no severe dedication to any problems to this point.
“authorities must display extra commitment towards resolving the issues that caused the strike as opposed to the usage of coercive manner via salary stoppage.”
A Professor of Linguistics, college of Ibadan, Francis Egbokhare, also showed that he have been without income for 5 months.
He said, “in case you don’t pay humans who have accumulated much debt, the device can pay, one way or the opposite.
“Morale is already very low. Complicating it by means of withholding salaries could be a huge error. The results at the device will reverberate anywhere. A great wide variety of teachers have left for greener pastures remote places. Many have tailored to alternative earnings operations
“If we aren’t paid, self-help and coping techniques might be mainstreamed and normalised. I think that a simple fee-benefit analysis will display the folly within the chance.”
A attorney, Mr Oluwafemi Olabisi, stated it turned into an unfair labour practice for employees not to be paid their salaries even as on strike.
He stated, “The best state of affairs wherein people are not allowed to earn salaries is while there is no greater corporation-employee courting.
“but if workers are down tooling or on strike for a path or an agitation, like what ASUU and other university employees are doing, they can’t be suspended whilst they’re on strike and their profits can’t be stopped.
“If the authorities has refused to pay, it’s miles illegal, it isn’t always allowed beneath the Nigerian Labour law. It is contrary to international satisfactory practices.”
CHUKA KEN MINISTRY 