*Says withholding members’ salary illegal
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has stressed the need for President Bola Tinubu to expedite action towards alleviating the excruciating hardship in the country as a result of various reforms of the administration.
The union also described as illegal the refusal of the federal government to pay its members three months’ salaries, despite the union’s non-participation in the industrial action declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
CONUA is a splinter group from ASUU, which was formed by university lecturers during the last prolonged strike by ASUU.
A statement issued by CONUA’s President, Dr. ‘Niyi Sumonu, yesterday disclosed that since the fuel removal and naira floating policies of the present administration, Nigerians have been going through a very difficult time, which needs urgent intervention.
“The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has, again, reviewed the state of the nation and noted the excruciating pains Nigerians have been going through as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy since May 29, 2023, and the subsequent policy of floating the Naira.
“The union further notes that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured the nation that a series of measures are being put in place to alleviate the suffering of the people. CONUA urges the president to expedite action on those measures, particularly the announcement of a commensurate minimum wage that will cushion the effect of this untold hardship being currently experienced by the citizens”, it stated.
The union also described as illegal the continuous withholding of its members’ three months’ salaries occasioned by the strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in 2022, saying its members never participated in the said industrial action.
It reads further, “The union wishes to once again call the attention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the continued withholding of the three and a half months salaries due to the strike action embarked by a sister academic staff union in the universities. CONUA, as a union, has consistently maintained that it never declared and was not part of the strike action.
“What the government had done was to lump together those who embarked on strike with those who did not. This is unjust and is tantamount to punishing the innocent along with the guilty. The federal government’s action goes against the judgment delivered on 25th July 2023 at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), which affirmed CONUA as an independent union”.
“The president should note that withholding the three and a half months salaries of members of CONUA, who neither declared nor participated in any strike action, contravenes Section 43 (1b) of the Trade Disputes Act CAP. T8, which states that “where any employer locks out his workers, the workers shall be entitled to wages and any other applicable remunerations for the period of the lock-out and the period of the lock-out shall not prejudicially affect any rights of the workers being rights dependent on the continuity of the period of employment”.
“This provision is consistent with global best practices. In conclusion, CONUA demands that failure to process and pay this outstanding salary could throw the Universities into serious crises and the peace, currently being enjoyed, could be jeopardized.”
CONUA further urged President Tinubu to pay attention to the remuneration of academics in the university which has been stagnant since 15 years ago, despite the steady rise in the cost of living and demanded an adjustment in the emoluments of lecturers to bring the best out of them.
