By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) has ruled in favour of the Federal Government in the implementation of a no-work, no-pay policy against body of public university lecturers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The government had approached the court, seeking the enforcement of the policy against ASUU, a union it says should not be paid for period of time it failed to render service.
The no-work, no-pay rule enforced by the Federal Government against members of ASUU who went on strike last year is perfectly legal, the court had declared on Tuesday.
In the judgement delivered by the President of the Court, Justice Benedict Kanyip in Abuja the court held that it is within the right of the Federal Government to withhold salaries of workers who embark on industrial action.
The court, however, held that it is a violation of University Autonomy for the Federal Government to impose the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) platform on members of ASUU who reserve the right to determine how their salaries should be paid.
The Federal Government had dragged ASUU before the National Industrial Court over the demand of the Union for the payment of their salaries from February 14 to October 7, 2022, when the strike was called off.
The union had embarked on the strike to press home improved welfare, funding of universities, university autonomy among other things.
