FG APPEALS TO NAAT, NASU AND SSANU TO SHELVE STRIKE

Federal Government of Nigeria, has appealed to the Academic and non
academic unions of Nigerian Universities to shield its swords on the
proposed strike action which is to start on the 16th of january 2017,
as Government is doing everything within its pow view to finding a
lasting solution to the problem.

The Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Nwabueze
Ngige, said in a press statement issued from his office Monday that
the academic unions should do this in the interest of the Nation and
Nigeria children at large.

The issue of wages negotiation between the Federal Government and the
academic bodies in Nigeria has become a perennial problem due to non
compliance of the agreements by the ruling party.

According to Senator Ngige, :”I wish to assure that the Federal
Government is ready and willing to fully
dialogue with the members of these Trade Unions, operating under the
umbrella of Joint Action Committee.  Government has already opened an
unhindered channel of communication with all Stakeholders and shall
maintain this.

Today, January, 16, 2017, I convened a meeting of all stakeholders in
dispute for us to ventilate all issues and reach amicable settlement.
Unfortunately, the Trade Unions requested for a different date, and the
meeting now re-scheduled for Wednesday, January 18, 2017.  The Federal
Government therefore expects that the Trade Unions should suspend the
strike before the re-scheduled meeting to make way for untrammeled
discussions”

The Minister further, stated that it is important for Trade Unions to
embrace social dialogue in the pursuit
and attainment of the economic and social interests of their members
anchored on equity and natural justice. Hence thought it necessary to
remind the Trade Unions that there is
nothing like a “warning strike” in our National Industrial Relations System
(NIRS) – a strike is a strike and is subject to all the rules governing
strike in the world of work.

Accordingly, the provisions of Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Act, CAP.
T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN), 2004, will apply regarding the
law of “no work no pay by workers/employees notwithstanding any other
circumstances in any section of the Act.”

Once more, I wish to appeal to the trade unions to embrace dialogue as the
Federal Government is fully committed to peaceful resolution of what the
unions termed “Full Implementation of 2009 FGN/Non – Teaching Staff Union’s
Agreement”.