ASUU faults moves to amend Trade Union Act
From Tunji Omofoye, Ibadan
THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday joined other Nigerians in kicking against the proposed bill by President Olusegun Obasanjo for the amendment of the Trade Union Act.
ASUU National President, Dr. Abdullahi Sule-Kano, said the bill was anti-people and that it was intended to kill genuine opposition to unpopular government economic policies.
According to the union, "the proposed bill cannot promote democracy. On the contrary, it will have the effect of destroying virile trade unionism in Nigeria. A virile trade unionism is necessary for democracy even though Nigeria's government does not seem to believe this".
The union argued that the bill violated the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions by subjecting workers' freedom of association to the discretion of government officials.
Sule-Kano urged the National Assembly to wake up to its responsibility by refusing to pass the bill into law.
"If we Nigerians allow our right of association to be given as any ruler wishes, there will be no democracy in Nigeria. The proposed bill must, therefore, be rejected by all Nigerians who believe in freedom and democracy", he said.
The association also accused the Federal Government of a deliberate ploy to subvert university autonomy by substituting an "Autonomy Bill" for another law, which had earlier been passed by the National Assembly.
The union noted that the aim of the government was to make into law provisions, which violate democratic governance, university autonomy as universally recognised, academic freedom, constitutional and trade union rights and allow government to abdicate its responsibilities for the education of Nigerian youths.
The National Executive Commission (NEC) observed that on July 10, 2003, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, assented to and signed the National Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act passed by the National Assembly one week earlier".
"NEC, however, observed with great dismay that the Federal Government is, through the National Universities' Commission (NUC) making desperate efforts to nullify the law by pretending that the Act was never passed and presented to the National Assembly an Autonomy Bill.
The union also accused the government of violating the laws of the land in respect of a recent Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) award against the government and refusal by it (government) to honour the June 30, 2001 Federal Government-ASUU agreement.
