‘No work no pay’: Withheld ASUU members’ salaries to be subjected to special waiver

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, said, on Sunday, that the “no work no pay” clause in relations to strikes and industrial actions, has been invoked by the Federal Government on the striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), since June, this year.

Ngige gave this explanation while insisting that the members of ASUU have not been exempted from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) platform; as the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) an alternative platform designed by ASUU is undergoing usability test until declared usable and operable by all relevant government agencies.

The minister told Tribune Online, on Sunday, the withheld salaries of the period of strike, since June 20 to date, will be subjected to a ‘special waiver’ approval before payment.

He explained that ASUU started strike in March, and the government invoked “no work no pay” clause in June, adding that those that were not enrolled on IPPIS and those on strike were not paid.

The “no work, no pay” is a clause as a stipulation in Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Act Cap T8 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004.

Ngige stated further that all ASUU members who were not on IPPIS didn’t get their February and March salaries because IPPIS did not pay all public servants who were not enrolled on it starting from February.

However, he revealed that all ASUU members on IPPIS received their salaries as and when due.

The minister said: “ASUU members who were not on IPPIS didn’t get their February and March salaries because IPPIS did not pay all public servants who weren’t enrolled on it starting from February. ASUU declared strike in March, so those unenrolled never got salaries.”

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He, however, added that by Presidential approval, the government agreed to pay them “compassionate salaries” due to COVID-19.

To get the compassionate salaries paid, he explained that the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) office designed a hybrid handshake system of IPPIS/NIMC and paid the February to June salaries.

He explained further: “This system is what will be used in paying all those who did not get any salaries from February to June. The withheld salaries of the period of strike as ‘no work no pay’ had been invoked since June 20 to date will be subjected to a ‘special waiver’ approval before payment.

“This hybrid system will be in use for payment for the transitional period that UTAS will be on usability test until declared usable and operable by National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), National Security Adviser (NSA), Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) and the National University Commission (NUC).”

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE