Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment said the Academic Staff Union of Universities is free to challenge its decision to register two new unions in court.
GoldenNewsNg reports that Ngige said ASUU can approach the court of law if it feels aggrieved over the registration of the two newly registered unions – Congress for Nigerian University Academics and the Nigeria Association of Medical and Dental Academics – in the university system.
The minister made this known in a statement signed by the Head of Public Relations of the ministry of labour, Olajide Oshundun.
Ngige had presented certificates of registration to NAMDA and CONUA during a ceremony at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in Abuja.
However, in a letter to Ngige, the Nigerian Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, demanded for the withdrawal of the letters issued to the unions, on the grounds that their registration contravened the laws guiding trade unionism.
But Ngige on Wednesday noted that ASUU was free to approach the court if it feels aggrieved.
He said, “if ASUU feels aggrieved, they could approach the Courts for Judicial remedy as law abiding citizens just like the Federal Government through Federal Ministry of Labour & Employment by virtue of the powers conferred by Section 17 of the TDA, transmitted the FG/ASUU trade dispute to the NICN for adjudication, due to refusal of the union to comply with the provisions of Section 18 of the TDA, conciliation having failed.”
The PUNCH reports that the controversy surrounding the registration of CONUA and NAMDA by the Federal Government deepened with NLC demanding the immediate withdrawal of the bodies’ certificates.
The NLC said their registration could not stand because it contravened the laws, which had been tested and affirmed by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court.
