Taraba State Government invokes "No Work, No Pay" Policy against Striking University Staff

The Taraba State Ministry for Tertiary Education has officially issued a stern reminder to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) at Taraba State University regarding the implementation of the "No Work, No Pay" rule.

​In a formal memorandum addressed to the Vice Chancellor and relevant union bodies, the State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Dr. Mike Dio Jen, clarified the government's stance following the ongoing industrial action.

The government is anchoring its decision on Section 43 of the Trade Union Disputes Act. This law stipulates that employers are not obligated to pay wages to workers during the period of a strike.

The directive further notes that periods spent on strike will not count toward the workers' pensionable service records.

 According to the Ministry, the decision to invoke this act comes after various negotiations and mediations failed to produce a resolution or a commitment from the unions to resume work.

Despite the hardline financial stance, the government ended the memo with an appeal to the unions to suspend the strike immediately to allow for the restoration of smooth academic activities within the institution.

​The document, dated March 9, 2026, bears the official seal of the Vice Chancellor’s office and the signature of the Honourable Commissioner. Internal notations on the memo indicate that the directive is already being circulated to the various union chairmen (ASUU, SSANU, NASU, and NAAT) for immediate compliance.

​This development marks a significant escalation in the industrial dispute between the state government and the university staff, signaling that the administration is prepared to use legal and financial leverage to end the academic deadlock.