THE Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige said on Sunday that the “no work no pay” clause regarding strikes and industrial actions has been invoked by the Federal Government on the striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) since June, this year.

Ngige gave this explanation while insisting that the members of ASUU had not been exempted from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) platform; as the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) an alternative platform designed by ASUU was undergoing usability test until declared usable and operable by all relevant government agencies.

The minister told the Nigerian Tribune on Sunday that the withheld salaries of the period of strike since June 20 to date, would be subjected to a ‘special waiver’ approval before payment. He explained that ASUU started the strike in March, and that the government invoked the “no work no pay” clause in June, adding that those who were not enrolled on IPPIS and those on strike were not paid.

The “no work, no pay” is a clause as stipulation in Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Act Cap T8 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004. Ngige stated further that all ASUU members who were not on IPPIS did not get their February and March salaries because IPPIS did not pay all public servants who were not enrolled on it starting from February.

However, he revealed that all ASUU members on IPPIS received their salaries as and when due. The minister said: “ASUU members who were not on IPPIS didn’t get their February and March salaries because IPPIS did not pay all public servants who weren’t enrolled on it starting from February. ASUU declared the strike in March, so those who were not enrolled never got salaries.”

He, however, added that by presidential approval, government agreed to pay them “compassionate salaries” due to Covid-19.

To get the compassionate salaries paid, he explained that the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) office designed a hybrid handshake system of IPPIS/NIMC and paid the February to June salaries.