The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has resolved to issue a four-week ultimatum to the Federal Government should it fail to conclude negotiations with all tertiary institution-based unions.
The NLC also attacked the government’s no-work-no-pay policy, which was implemented as a sort of retribution against members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities for daring to go on a statewide strike.
Joe Ajaero, president of the NLC, made this known at an ongoing interactive session with labor journalists in Abuja.
The interactive session followed the NLC’s meeting with leaders of tertiary institution-based unions at its headquarters in Abuja.
“We have decided to give the federal government four weeks to conclude all negotiations in this sector. They have started talks with ASUU, but the problem in this sector goes beyond ASUU.
“That is why we are extending this to four weeks. If after four weeks this negotiation is not concluded, the organs of the NEC will meet and take a nationwide action that all workers in the country and all unions in the country will be involved in so that we get to the root of all this.
“The era of signing agreements, negotiations, and threatening the unions involved—that era has come to an end.
“The policy, the so-called policy of no work, no pay, will henceforth be no pay, no work. You can’t benefit from an action you instigated. We have discovered that most, 90%, of strike actions in this country are caused by failure to obey agreements,” the NLC president said.
The Nigerian higher education system has been plagued by chronic instability, with the most recent shutdown of campuses across the country as a result of ASUU’s ongoing protest.
Recall that ASUU National President Professor Chris Piwuna announced the strike at a press event at the University of Abuja on Sunday, after the government’s 14-day ultimatum expired on September 28.
The union listed outstanding difficulties with personnel welfare, infrastructure, salary arrears, and the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement.
Negotiations in recent weeks have failed to prevent industrial action. Education Minister Tunji Alausa stated two weeks ago that talks had reached a climax, stressing that the government had released N50 billion for earned academic allowances and committed N150 billion in the 2025 budget for a needs assessment to be distributed in three installments. However, ASUU dismissed these steps as insufficient.
The union is demanding full implementation of the 2009 agreement, the release of three-and-a-half months of withheld salaries, long-term funding for universities, protection from victimization, payment of outstanding promotion and salary arrears, and the release of withheld deductions for cooperative and union contributions.
The NLC emphasized its complete solidarity with ASUU and other tertiary education unions, urging strong participation from all union leaders.
It also emphasized the “No Pay, No Work” idea, pushing the government to honor collective agreements and respect workers’ rights.
The emergency conference is intended to map the next steps for industrial action and discuss methods to protect university worker welfare, as well as the quality and continuity of public tertiary education in Nigeria.
