The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has extended ad infinitum its ongoing national strike which is 196 days old today.
The decision to embark on a full-scale industrial action was taken at the meeting of the union’s national executive council held at its University of Abuja headquarters on Monday (today).
It was learnt that the state congresses voted overwhelmingly for the continuation of the strike, especially to protest against the federal government’s enforcement of the no-work-no-pay policy.
The university teachers are seeking improved welfare, the revitalisation of public universities, and academic autonomy among others.
Recall that the lecturers’ union declared the strike on Monday, February 14, 2022 after its meeting at the University of Lagos.
First, it declared a four-week warning strike.
However, after one month, it extended it by eight weeks, saying the government needed more time to look at its demands.
Following the government and lecturers’ inability to reach a consensus, the union on May 9 further extended the strike by 12 weeks.
Several meetings between government representatives and ASUU have ended in deadlock.
Meanwhile, as news makes the rounds that the federal government was making plans to proscribe ASUU for failing to call off the protracted strike after it offered the union N50 billion and N100 billion in two tranches, Lagos lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana has warned the government against taking such action.
He said in a statement that ASUU’s right to organise is guaranteed under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 10 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.
He also cited the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention No 87 of the International Labour Organisation Convention which stops the federal government from banning or suspending trade unions.
He said the federal government ratified the ILO Convention stressing that parties to the Convention are obligated to ensure the right of both employers and employees to join an organisation of their choice and free from any influence of authorities which belong to the core principles of the ILO.”
“To ban ASUU, the federal government will have to amend the fundamental right of citizens to freedom of association enshrined in Chapter 4 of the Constitution.
“It is a special amendment, which requires the resolution of four-fifths of members of the National Assembly and approved by a two-thirds majority of members of not less than 24 Houses of Assembly.
“In addition, the federal government will withdraw its ratification of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention No 87of the International Labour Organisation.
“The anti-democratic forces urging the Buhari administration to ban ASUU should be made to realise that a democratic government lacks the competence to abrogate the fundamental rights of citizens outside the ambit of the 1999 Constitution.
“Those who are berating ASUU for alleged recalcitrance should advise the federal government to accord priorities to the funding of tertiary education,” he said.
He said instead of engaging in the diversionary tactics of blackmailing ASUU the federal government should ensure that the strike is called off by signing the renegotiated agreement with ASUU without any further delay.
While calling on both sides to resume the negotiations in the interest of the country, Falana said the federal government should be prevailed upon to end the prolonged industrial action.
