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Court Orders ASUU To Call Off Seven Months Strike

Just In: Court Orders ASUU To Call Off Seven Months Old Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been ordered to call off its nationwide industrial strike.

The varsity staff union were ordered by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) on Wednesday, September 21, to reopen all public universities and return to their duty posts after seven months of shutting down the learning institutions.

Naija News understands that the NICN directive was coming following a petition before the court by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, on behalf of the federal government.

Recall that students of public universities across the country have been at home since February 14, 2022, when ASUU press home its demands for improved funding for universities, and a review of salaries for lecturers, among other issues.

Despite a series of meetings, ASUU and the Federal Government could not reach a good end.

Consequently, the Federal Government went to court to challenge the strike.

The government is said to have through its counsel, James Igwe, prayed the court for an interlocutory injunction restraining ASUU from taking further steps as regards the strike, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige on Monday revealed the plan of the Federal Government (FG) to increase the N30,000 minimum wage.

Ngige, while speaking at the Nigeria Labour Congress public presentation titled, “Contemporary history of working-class struggle” in Abuja, noted that the FG is taking the step due to inflation affecting the world.

He noted that the Nigerian government sees a need to adjust the minimum wage in conformity with what is happening in the world.

Ngige said in the current economic situation, the current minimum wage in the country will not see workers pay transportation fares to work for a month.

According to Ngige, the 2019 Minimum Wage Act has a new clause for review.

The minister noted that the adjustment of the minimum wage has started with the Academic Staff Union of the University.

He said, “the stage they are with their primary employers, Ministry of Education, is a collective bargaining agreement negotiations.

“Under the principles of offer and acceptance, which is that of collective bargaining, ASUU can look at the offer they gave us and make a counter offer, but they have not done that. If they do that, we are bound to look at their offer. These are the ingredients of collective negotiations.”

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