Richard Elesho
The Federal Government is not a father Christmas and will no longer treat striking workers with kid gloves. Government has put on its full combat gear and announced the invocation of ‘no work no pay’ rule against any employee who stay away from work.
Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige made the disclosure on Monday.
He was reacting to the two-week warning strike by members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU).
His words: “Anybody on strike now will not be paid in consonance with Section 43.
“What they (unions) are doing is false leave; they are forcing their employers to close down some of their universities and declare holiday for students because of that.
“So if you do that, you will not be paid. Government is not Father Christmas where you are not working and you will be paid.”
SSANU and NASU had in a joint statement announced the commencement of the warning strike, saying “no concession should be given in any guise.”
The new industrial action by SSANU and NASU has completely grounded activities in the participating institutions.
It would be recalled that members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU commenced one month warning strike in February.
At the expiration of the strike on March 14th, the union extended it by two months, citing insincerity on the part of government.
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