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FG vs ASUU: Deadlock as proposed out-of-court settlement collapses
.Your registration of CONUA and NAMDA, a recipe for chaos, NLC blasts Buhari
.Vows to resist it
By AKOR SYLVESTER and CHIGOZIE IKPO, Abuja
The proposed out-of-court settlement in the ongoing dispute between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) which has led to a strike action, have taken a hit, as lawyers of both parties have failed to reach any meaningful conclusions.
Thursday’s proceedings was fixed to for motion to stay execution of National Industrial Court judgement, filled by the Union in response to the rulling by the court.
However, the appellate court, on Wednesday, in a unanimous decision by a three-man panel of Justices, deferred hearing of the Appeal ASUU lodged before it for another 24 hours.
It said the decision was to allow both parties to have a rethink and re-approach the negotiation table, with a view to resolving all the thorny issues amicably.
However, at the Court session today, both Both parties agreed that the court should hear the application, as there was no amicable resolution reached as advised by the court.
Lawyers to FG and ASUU, James Igwe (SAN) and Femi Falana (SAN), respectively, told the Court of Appeal that they were unable to resolve the dispute, despite the admonition by the Appellate court.
Presiding Justice Hamma Barka, thereafter stepped down the matter for an hour to enable the counsel to ASUU, Femi Falana file a reply to the counter affidavit deposed to by the Federal government in opposition to the hearing of the appeal.
At the resumption of the hearing, Falana said they had begun consultations which would continue at the end of the day’s proceedings, suggesting that their application challenging the ruling of the Industrial Court, be heard by the three-man panel of the Appeal court.
Meanwhile, The storm in the camp of the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities ( ASUU) is still not calm with the registration of two rival unions, as the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday described the handing over of certificate of registration to the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA) and Nigeria Association of Medical & Dental Academics (NAMDA) by the federal government as a recipe for chaos and confusion which will not stand the test of time.
The minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige recently presented the certificate of registration to CONUA and NAMDA to start operation immediately in order to reduce ASUU’s power and monopoly of strike in the academics.
But the NLC president, Ayuba Wabba who spoke at the Roundtable with Stakeholders to Commemorate the 2022 World Day for Decent Work in Abuja, said the registration of the unions contravened the Labour Acts and lack the principles of International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards to operate as unions.
Wabba further demanded for wage justice and cost of living allowance to enable Nigerian workers meet their financial needs in line with current economic realities.
According to the NLC boss, even though the Nigerian Constitution quarantee the right to freedom of association as argued by the minister of labour and employment, Dr Chris Ngige but the registration and recognition of the two unions was done out of line and cannot exist side by side with ASUU which already unionised both CONUA and NAMDA.
The NLC president noted, “I can confirm that the registration of the two other union is a violation of our Labour Acts, particularly section 5 sub-sector 4 provides clearly that where already a union that exist represents the interests of the other union that is about to be registered, that that union should not be registered and that has been tested and affirmed by the Supreme Court.
“So if you put it through the mirror of Labour Acts, it has fail clearly, the Act also provides clearly that before you registered a union, it will be published in a national gazette and you will take objection for three months, that has not been done which is a violation of law”.
“So we are writing to the minister to call his attention because part of the issues is to respect the laws and the cadre that the new union should represent is already unionised by the ASUU, therefore the law clearly spelt that that cannot happen. It is a recipe for chaos and also confusion, that is what we can say emphatically”, he added.
Talking on decent wages for workers, Wabba noted that despite the working class struggle for improved wages, Nigeria system remains unchanged to favour their course as the labour movement is ready to excercise their rights in voting leaders that change the situation.
He maintained that with the high rate of inflation currently experienced in Nigeria, Nigerian workers would be at the receiving end and therefore the need for cost of living allowance for them.
On his part, the lead presenter at the roundtable, Comrade Femi Aborshade also sought for a just wage exploitation of working system in Nigeria through the abolition of what he described as wage slavery for the working class.
Aborshade maintained that the labour movement must work towards a paradigm shift to escape from such system and struggle to achieve wage indexation acceptable globally.
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