THE National Industrial Court (NIC), on Tuesday, May 30, upheld the ‘no work, no pay’ policy implemented by the Federal Government against the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The court took the decision in a suit filed by Federal Government against the university lecturers.
The Federal Government implemented the ‘no work, no pay’ policy during the period ASUU embarked on strike.
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In its ruling on the suit numbered NICN/ABJ/270/2022, the court said the no work, no pay rule enforced by the Federal Government against members of the union who went on strike last year was entirely legal.
The judgment was delivered by the President of the Court, Benedict Kanyip.
Kanyip held that it is within the right of the Federal Government to withhold salaries of workers who embark on industrial action.
The court, however, held that Federal Government violated the autonomy of universities by imposing the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) platform on members of ASUU who reserve the right to determine how their salaries should be paid.
The Federal Government took ASUU before the National Industrial Court when they demanded payment of salaries from February 14 to October 7, 2022, when they were on strike.
Among other prayers, the Federal Government asked the court to declare that the eight-month ASUU strike was unlawful because it broke the law.
The government also requested that the court rule that ASUU was not entitled to any compensation under Section 43 of the Trade Dispute Act (TDA), 2004, due to the strike.
A reporter with the ICIR
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