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FG Drags ASUU To Industrial Court Over Strike

The raging dispute between the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that has kept many universities shut for more than seven months will shift to the Industrial court following Monday.

ASUU

ASUU had embarked on strike since February 15 to protest the alleged infrastructure decay at the various institutions, as well as neglect of the welfare of its members.

A reliable source at the Federal Ministry of Labour told newsmen last night that the ministry’s Trade Dispute Department had filed a case before the Industrial Arbitration Court in Abuja and that the hearing would commence the following Monday.

READ ALSO: ASUU: No Work, No Pay Policy Cannot Apply To Lecturers – Prof. Badejo Tells FG

According to the source, “The federal government has filed a case at the Industrial Court challenging the continued strike by the university teachers. This conforms with Section 17 of the Trade Dispute Act.”

There have been negotiations between the federal government and the ASUU leadership but all ended in stalemate without a tangible outcome.

READ ALSO: ASUU: FG Increases Lecturers Salary By 23.5%; Adamu Adamu Announces

However, talks between the federal government and ASUU finally hit the rocks last Tuesday after both sides met at the National University Commission’s office in Abuja.

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The federal government said it would not sign any other agreement it could not implement.

Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, disclosed this during a meeting of Pro-Chancellors and Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities held at the NUC’s office.

Adamu said President Muhammadu Buhari had warned the government’s team involved in the negotiation with ASUU against signing an agreement that the government would not be able to fulfil.

The minister said the government had offered the union a 23.5 per cent salary increase “for all categories of the workforce in federal universities, except for the professorial cadre, which will enjoy a 35 per cent upward review. He said the government had also promised that N150 billion “shall be provided for in the 2023 Budget as funds for the revitalisation of federal universities, to be disbursed to the Institutions in the First Quarter of the year.”

ASUU chairman

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