by Joy Job: FG Explains the Rationale Behind Payment of Half Month Salary to ASUU
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FINALLY SPEAKS ON WHY THEY PAID ASUU MEMBERS HALF MONTH SALARY
Sequel to the half month salary payment of Universities Lecturers under the umbrella of ASUU, the Federal Government has finally spoken on why they failed to pay lecturers full salary for the month of October.
In a statement, by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the government emphasised that members of ASUU were paid their October salary pro-rata.
According to the ministry, pro-rata was implied because they cannot be paid for work not done.
The statement debunked that the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, directed the Accountant General of the Federation to pay the university lecturers half salaries.
The statement reads in part, “Following the ruling of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the order of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, asking ASUU to go back to work, the leadership of the union wrote to the Minister, informing him that they have suspended the strike. The Federal Ministry of Education wrote to him in a similar vein and our labour inspectors in various states also confirmed that they have resumed work.
“So, the Minister wrote to the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning, directing that their salaries should be restored. They were paid in pro-rata for the number of days that they worked in October, counting from the day that they suspended their industrial action. Pro-rata was done because you cannot pay them for work not done. Everybody’s hands are tied.”
