By Ogochukwu Isioma
The National Industrial Court (NIC) has ruled that the Federal Government was wrong to impose the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) platform on members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The court held that it is a violation of University Autonomy for the Federal Government to impose the IPPIS platform on members of ASUU who reserve the right to determine how their salaries should be paid.
The Industrial Court, however, held that the “no work, no pay” rule enforced by the Federal Government against members of ASUU who went on strike last year is perfectly legal.
In its ruling on Tuesday, the court held that ASUU members who participated in the strike of 14th February, 2022 till when it was called-off are not entitled to salaries.
The NIC agreed with the Nigerian government that it is legal not to pay salaries to the striking university lecturers during the period the ASUU strike lasted.
Delivering judgement, President of the NIC, Justice Benedict Kanyip held that it is within the right of the Federal Government to withhold salaries of workers who embark on industrial action.
METROWATCHXTRA.COM recalls that the Federal Government had dragged ASUU before the National Industrial Court over the demand of the Union for the payment of their salaries from February 14 to October 7, 2022, when the strike was called-off.
ASUU had during the strike re-negotiation period last year, presented its self-developed University Transparency and Accountability System (UTAS) as its preferred salary payment platform for adoption by the federal government as against FG’s IPPIS.
