President Bola Tinubu has ordered members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) be paid their salaries withheld for 4 months when members of the union went on strike.
The president gave the order while approving a partial waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” on members of ASUU.
“Invoking the Principle of the Presidential Prerogative of Mercy, President Bola Tinubu has approved the partial waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” Order that was instituted against striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU),” a statement released on Friday in Abuja by Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity reads.
The order follows the eight-month industrial action embarked on by ASUU members, which began on February 14, 2022 and was terminated on October 17, 2022.
“In view of his determination to mitigate the difficulties being felt during the implementation of key economic reforms in the country, as well as his recognition of the faithful implementation of terms which were agreed upon during the fruitful deliberations between ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“President Bola Tinubu has directed the grant of an exceptional last waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” Order on ASUU, which will allow for the previously striking members of ASUU to receive four (4) months of salary accruals out.”
The amount is to be paid out of the eight months of salary which was withheld during the eight-month industrial action undertaken by the union.
The president also directed the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to secure a Document of Understanding (DoU) from ASUU.
The DoU is to establish that this exceptional waiver granted by the President will be the last to be granted to ASUU and all other Education Sector Unions.
Similarly, Tinubu has approved the waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” order instituted against striking members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Aug. 1.
The waiver was in accordance with the Principle of the Presidential Prerogative of Mercy.
He said that the order was placed on the NARD members following the commencement of their industrial action on July 26.
Recall NARD called off the strike after several consultations with the Federal Government on Aug. 12.
The federal government subsequently directed the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to withhold all salaries accrued by striking NARD members during the 17 days of their strike action.
“In view of the faithful implementation of terms which were agreed upon during the fruitful deliberations between the Resident Doctors and the Federal Government of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has directed the grant of an exceptional last waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” Order on Resident Doctors.
“(This) will allow for the members of the NARD to receive the salaries which were previously withheld during the 17-day strike action.”
The president granted the waiver with a mandatory requirement that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment must secure a Document of Understanding (DoU).
The president said that the DoU must establish that this exceptional waiver granted by the President would be the last to be granted to the NARD and all other Health Sector Unions.
