Updated: ASUU Suspends Strike action after 8 months

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has suspended its 8 month old industrial action after an emergency meeting at the Festus lyayi National Secretariat of the Union at the University of Abuja, Abuja, on Thursday, 13th October, 2022.

The meeting according to a Press Statement signed by its National President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, reviewed developments since the Union declared an indefinite strike action on 29th August, 2022.

According to Professor Osodeke, during the intervening period, the Minister of Labour and Employment, through a referral, approached the National Industrial Court (NIC) for the interpretation of “the provision of sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 18 (1) of the Trade Dispute Act, Cap T8 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, whether the on-going prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities which started since 14th February, 2022 is legal even after statutory apprehension by the Minister of Labour and Employment?” In addition, he asked for an interlocutory order against the continuation of the strike.

He added that the National Industrial Court in its wisdom gave an order compelling ASUU to resume work pending the determination of the substantive suit.

Going Further he said the judgment not being in consonance with ASSU’s perspective of the situation, the Union decided to appeal the ruling, especially the Interlocutory injunction at the Court of Appeal.

The Court of Appeal having acknowledged the validity of the grounds of the Union’s appeal but still upheld the order of the lower court and ordered our Union to comply with the ruling of the lower court as condition precedent for the appeal to be heard.

He added that Union’s NEC noted the series of meetings with the leadership of the House of Representatives led by the Hon. Speaker, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, as well as intervention efforts of other well-meaning Nigerians both within and outside government and the progress made so far.

He disclosed that ASSU’s NEC having deliberated on the recommendations of the Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila-led Committee within the framework of the FGN/ASUU’s Memorandum of Action(MoA) of 2020 on the contending issues that led to the strike action.

The issues according to him include: Funding for Revitalisation of public universities, Earned Academic Allowances, Proliferation of public Universities, Visitation Panels/Release of White Papers, University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a broad spectrum software to stop illegality and provide for an alternative payment platform in the university system, Renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement.

While appreciating the commendable efforts of the leadership of the House of Representatives and other patriotic Nigerians who waded into the matter, NEC noted with regrets that the issues in dispute are yet to be satisfactorily addressed.

The Union has however, as a law-abiding Union and in deference to appeals by the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, and in recognition of the efforts of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, and other well meaning Nigerians, ASUU NEC resolved to suspend the strike action embarked upon on 14th February 2022. Consequently, all members of ASUU are hereby directed to resume all services hitherto withdrawn with effect from 12:01 on Friday, 14th October, 2022.