The minister of labour, Dr. Chris Ngige has declared the two week warning strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities as an illegal strike.
Speaking to State House correspondents on Wednesday he also said that it would amount to corruption if the lecturers collect their full salary despite going on strike.
Despite declaring the strike illegal, the minister, however, disclosed that he had invited the union for a meeting on Thursday.
“For a start, this strike is illegal. They said it is a warning striking but there is nothing like warning strike. A strike is withdrawal of services for which you are being paid. Then the question will arise, if you don’t go to work, do you want to be paid? Is it not corruption? So this is the dilemma.
“So to solve the dilemma I have invited them to the meeting for tomorrow. I have invited the minister of education, their principal employer, the finance ministry and the accountant general of the federation.
“So we will meet and discuss the way forward because no employee is empowered to dictate to his employer on how he or she should be paid. There is an ILO convention on it. The important thing is that you receive your compensation for services rendered or work done as at when due.”
