Minister appeals to lecturers to shelve action

Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of  Universities (ASUU) to rescind its decision to embark on a nationwide warning strike.
Ngige, in a statement last night, said the union should give the President Muhammadu Buhari administration an opportunity to discuss contending issues arising from the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) it reached with the past administration.
The minister said: “The claims of nationwide consultations by ASUU cannot be true as the Ministry of Labour  and Employment, which is the  chief conciliator of industrial relations disputes,  is yet to receive a direct petition from ASUU against the Federal Government, who is the  jurisdictional employer.”
The statement signed by the ministry’s Deputy Director (Press), Samuel Olowokere, emphasised the need for proper re-negotiation of  the agreement, which ASUU reached with the previous administrations through a clear channel of social dialogue, starting with its immediate employer, the Ministry of Education, and the Labour Ministry.
It explained that in view of the prevailing circumstances, the issuance of  warning strike by ASUU was unconstitutional as the body was yet to exhaust the conflict resolution mechanisms clearly mapped out in the labour laws.
The minister appealed to ASUU to give the present administration the  opportunity to address  its  grievances, which stemmed from the inactions of the past administration.