The Federal Government on Wednesday declared the two-week warning strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities as “illegal”.
The government through the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, accused ASUU of not following laid down procedures before embarking on the industrial action.
Ngige spoke in Abuja after the Federal Executive Council meeting.
According to him, ASUU did not give the government the mandatory notice required of a union before embarking on the strike.
He said: “I am in shock. The strike is illegal because they did not give us the mandatory notice.
“I was shocked on Monday, I read and saw some people coming out of the university that lecturers have gone on strike. I have my children in Nigerian university and I saw them and it is not a very cheering news.
“They didn’t give us the mandatory notice before going on strike. So for a start, this strike is illegal. They said it is a warning striking, but there is nothing like warning strike. A strike is withdrawal of services for which you are being paid. Then the question will arise, if you don’t go to work, do you want to be paid? Is it not corruption? So this is the dilemma.
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“So to solve the dilemma I have invited them to the meeting for tomorrow (Thursday). I have invited the minister of education, their principal employer, the finance ministry and the accountant general of the federation.
“So we will meet and discuss the way forward because no employee is empowered to dictate to his employer on how he or she should be paid. There is an ILO convention on it.
“The important thing is that you receive your compensation for services rendered or work done as at when due.
“So, we hope to solve the problems. ASUU are Nigerians, they are patriotic but tomorrow we hope to engage them,” he said.
