The Academic Staff Union of Universities has said that the decision of the Lagos State Government to sack doctors under its employment is wrong, autocratic and condemnable.
The union at a press conference on the lingering face-off between Lagos State Government and the doctors in Ibadan on Monday noted that the crisis, which took its root from the November 19, 2010 wage increase demand, should not have led to the doctors’ sacking if the government had kept its promise.
The striking Lagos State doctors were reportedly sacked for refusing to return to duty on the ground that their demand for the mutual agreeable wage increase was not approved.
While addressing journalists at ASUU Secretariat, University of Ibadan on Monday, the President of ASUU, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, noted that the state government had reverted to the draconian rule of the military in its handling of the crisis.
The ASUU President said, “It is unfortunate that almost 15 years after Abacha’s dictatorship and 13 years after military rule in Nigeria, the government of Lagos State is still using the same tactics suitable for military rule.
“However, it should be made clear that no government which puts premium on obeying the laws will sack doctors on legitimate strike. The labour laws of the country forbid it. The International Labour Organisation forbids it. The Lagos State Government has no power to declare the doctors’ strike illegal.”
Quoting the 1996 ILO, Freedom of Association Digest, Awuzie said, “It is contrary to freedom of association that the right to declare a strike in the public service illegal lie with the heads of public institutions, which are thus judges and parties to a dispute.
“The Lagos State Government violated the ILO convention which says if a strike is legal; recourse to the use of labour drawn from outside the undertaking to replace those on strike for an un-determinate period entails a note of derogation from the right to strike, which may affect the free exercise of Trade Union Rights.”
The union stated that the state government fell short of commitment to respecting the rights of their tenants by its decision to eject the doctors from their homes. Awuzie, who said that the striking doctors’ ejection was wrong as it was based upon their employment, stressed, “They had not, legally speaking, lost their jobs, they had not lost their tenancy rights as there are laws protecting tenants from eviction. We cannot agree that any government at any level should be free to tramp upon the rights of workers as manifest in the way the Lagos Government has been treating the doctors.”
The union, stating that there was no basis for sacking of the 788 doctors when it only employed 10 per cent of the required number of doctors, asked the state government to implement CONMESS, recall the sacked doctors, refrain from victimising the doctors and dialogue with the Nigerian Medical Association.
Awuzie hinted that the union would make known its next line of action at its congress in June if the state government failed to heed its counsel.
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bird of the same feather ASUU are noted of spending more days at home than classes.if you like join them on strike.lazy people
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