In reaction to the registration of two factual academic unions by the Federal Government, the Academic Staff Union of Universities has said that it will challenge it in the National Industrial Court (NIC).
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige had announced the the registration of the Unions, adding that the two bodies will exist alongside ASUU, and also enjoy the rights and privileges accorded to other academic unions in the tertiary system.
But in developing event, ASUU through its lawyer, Femi Falana, on Thursday stated that it will approach the court.
Confirming it, the President of ASUU, Emmanuel Osodeke in a chat with Channels correspondent on Thursday morning said:
“He (Falana) is our lawyer. So, that is correct,”
The two registered factional academic unions are: the Congress of Nigerian Universities Academics (CONUA) and the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA).
However, Falani, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the registration of CONUA and NAMDA is illegal. He said according to the Trade Unions Act, only one union is allowed to operate in every sector.
“You can’t have two trade unions in the same sector. Only a union is allowed to be registered for all academics in Nigeria.
“That is the essence of the classification of trade unions because we used to have mushrooms in the First Republic so the government restructured the unions and grouped all academics together and all non-academics together. You can’t have two or three in one field,” he said.
Falana said there is a Supreme Court judgment on the proliferation of trade unions – the Erasmus Osawe V Registrar of Trade Unions.
The senior lawyer also said the apex court ruled “that your freedom of association is not totalled; it is also regulated by the Trade Unions Act so that there will be no proliferation of trade unions”.
This is as talks between the Federal Government and ASUU over ways to resolve the continued seven months strike has proven abortive.
