ASUU dragged to National Industrial Court by Women’s Group, several reliefs sought

HE strike action embarked upon by university
lecturers has assumed another dimension as
the Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) has been dragged before the National
Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) over the
lingering strike action.
The suit, with the number NICW/
Abj/242/2013 which also has ministers of
labour and productivity, education, finance
and justice, as well as secretary to the
government of the federation as defendants,
was instituted by the registered trustees of
Golden Women of Integrity and Vision
Association and Mrs. Florence Uche Ojieh.
In the suit, the claimants are asking the court
to determine whether the strike action
embarked upon by ASUU is not illegal and
contrary to law and whether members of the
union are not bound by the policy of 'no
work no pay' and therefore not entitled to
their salary during the period of the strike.
They also asked the court to determine
whether members of ASUU are entitled to
continue to retain their employment, having
abandoned or deemed to have abandoned
their work in the universities; whether or not
the union complied with the mandatory
provisions of Section 4 and 5 of the Trade
Dispute Act CAP T8 LFN 2004 before
embarking on the strike; whether the union
has complied with the provision of Section 8
of the Trade Disputes Act CAP T8 LFN 2004;
whether or not the minister of education is
not entitled to determine the employment of
the union, same having abandoned or deemed
to have abandoned their work in their
universities and whether or not the doctrine
of collective bargain or the purported 2009
agreement can be the basis for the strike
action by ASUU same not having been
incorporated in their contract of employment
between it and the federal government.
The reliefs sought by the claimants include a
declaration that the strike action embarked
upon by ASUU since July 2, 2013 is illegal,
unconstitutional, null and void.
The claimants also sought a declaration of
court that the strike action is unlawful and
unwarranted in the face of the payment to the
union by federal government of over N50
billion to meet ASUU's demands from the
government.