Nigeria’s labour minister Chris Ngige has appealed to the unions in tertiary educational institutions to shelve their planned warning strike.
The unions are the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Non – Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).
They jointly declared intention to embark on a five– day warning strike effective January 16, 2017.
Ngige urged the unions to suspend the strike in the interest of the nation.
“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.’’
He explained that the Trade Unions requested for a different date, and the meeting had been re-scheduled for Wednesday, January 18, 2017.
The Federal Government expects the Trade Unions to suspend the strike before the re-scheduled meeting to make way for robust discussions.
“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.
“I 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.’’
He explained that the provisions of Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Act, CAP. T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN), 2004, would apply regarding the law of “no work no pay by workers/employees notwithstanding any other circumstances in any section of the Act.”
He urged them to embrace dialogue as the Federal Government was committed to peaceful resolution of what the unions termed “Full Implementation of 2009 FGN/Non – Teaching Staff Union’s Agreement”.
Source: NAN
