ASUU rejects sack of 16 lecturers, two others for participating in NLC warning strike in Kaduna

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Kaduna State University (KASU) Chapter, on Monday rejected the sack of 16 lecturers and two non-academic staff of the institution by the state government.

The 18 staff were sacked for participating in the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) five-day warning strike in the state last month.

The Chairman of the union, Dr. Peter Adamu, who reacted to the staff sack in a statement in Kaduna, described the action as illegal.

Adamu said the illegal attempt to dismiss the 18 staff contravened the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the labour union and Kaduna State government on May 20.

He said the MoU explicitly states that no worker should be victimised for participating in the industrial action.

Adamu added that the workers’ sack was a “gross violation” of the MoU by the state government.

The ASUU chief said: “The sack of the affected lecturers and non-academic staff was announced by KASU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Muhammad Tanko, during the university’s 16th Congregation held on June 2.

READ ALSO: ASUU joins Kaduna warning strike

“Evidence of the purported action by the university is also contained in a memo (KASU/REG/061/VOL 1/446) from the university management to Governor Nasir El-Rufai, through the Commissioner for Education and dated May 20.

“However, the 18 affected members of staff neither received queries nor faced any disciplinary committee, as claimed by the university management in the memo.

“The claim is false and baseless with no evidence to show.”

Adamu revealed that the memo also mandated the office of the Kaduna State Accountant to stop remitting the union check-off dues.

This, according to him, was against the Trade Unions (Amendment) Act NO. 17 of 2005, that clearly explains Check-off Dues, to be statutorily permitted deductions.

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