Branches of the Academic Staff Union of Universities will begin traditional voting today (Tuesday) and tomorrow (Wednesday) about the union’s ongoing strike.
The National Executive Council will receive the various branches’ decisions for final decision-making.
“We got the directive after the meeting with the speaker yesterday(Monday). The intervention was timely. Branches will vote between today and tomorrow after which the decisions will be convened to the NEC,” a source said.
According to reports, the latest development follows a meeting with Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the House of Representatives, who requested additional meetings between the union and the side of the Federal Government.
According to ASUU’s head attorney Femi Falana, SAN, the strike would end in a few days,
According to the union, the government’s inability to satisfy ASUU’s unmet requests prompted the union to go on strike on Monday, February 14, 2022.
Following “failed negotiations,” the minister of labor and employment Chris Ngige dragged the lecturers on strike to the National Industrial Court.
On September 21, the National Industrial Court ordered ASUU to end the strike.
The federal government’s request on notice was granted by the court, ordering the lecturers back into the classrooms.
In his decision on the interlocutory injunction, trial judge Polycarp Hamman prohibited ASUU from carrying out the industrial action until the outcome of the suit filed by the federal government against ASUU.
Unhappy with the decision, the union went to the appeals court to challenge it.
Additionally, a request for a stay of the Industrial Court’s judgment was made.
The Court of Appeal rejected ASUU’s request for a stay of the lower court’s judgment, and as a result, ordered the lecturers on strike to “immediately” end their eight-month walkout.
According to the panel, “should the applicant fail to obey the order (of the lower court), the leave granted shall be automatically vacated”, supporting the federal government’s claim that ASUU cannot approach the appellate court with “dirty hands.”
