Recently the Federal Government made move to implement ‘No work no pay’ for striking university lecturers. However, report has it that they have withdrawn the implementation of No Work No Pay policy.

The news was made public by the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, in a private chat with Vanguard yesterday.

Prof. Biodun said that the negotiation meeting between ASUU and the Federal Government would continue tomorrow, explaining that the aim of the union was to bring back that standard of education which would be accessible to both the rich and the poor.

Recall that the meeting between the FG and ASUU on Friday last week, produced no tangible result.

Although the threat of “No Work no Pay” has been withdrawn, the union say that they are prepared for whatever threat that may come their way.

In the mean time, one of the human rights lawyers, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN said: ”Although the Federal Government referred to “extant rules” to justify the ‘no work, no pay’ policy the directive is anchored on section 43 (1) of the Trade Disputes Act which provides that “any worker who takes part in a strike shall not be entitled to any wages or other remuneration for the period of the strike…”.

In contrary, he said again that the threat to eject lecturers living in official quarters, promulgation of a decree which made strike in schools a treasonable offence and the proscription of ASUU did not collapse any of the strikes called by ASUU.

”It is submitted that the latest strike embarked upon by ASUU has complied with the provisions of section 31 (6) of the Trade Disputes (Amendment) Act, 2005. Since the law does not punish acts which are lawful in any democratic society section 43(1) of the Trade Disputes Act cannot be invoked to justify the seizure of the salaries and allowances of members of the ASUU who have decided to participate in an industrial action that is legal in every material particular. Under the current labour law regime only those who take part in illegal strikes are liable to be prosecuted and forfeit their salaries and allowances.

Finally ASUU wins the case since its industrial action is well supported by the law.