The Nigeria Labour Congress has decided to issue a four-week ultimatum to the Federal Government if it fails to conclude negotiations with all unions in the tertiary education sector.
The NLC also criticised the Federal Government’s no-work-no-pay policy, describing it as a punitive measure targeted at members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities for embarking on a nationwide strike.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, disclosed this during an interactive session with labour correspondents in Abuja.
The session followed a meeting held between the NLC and leaders of unions representing tertiary institutions at the NLC 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, all unions in the country will be involved 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,” Ajaero said.
Nigeria’s higher education system has long suffered from instability, with the latest development resulting in the closure of universities across the country due to the ongoing strike by ASUU.
ASUU’s National President, Professor Chris Piwuna, had announced the strike at a press briefing held at the University of Abuja on Sunday, following the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the government on September 28. The union cited unresolved issues including staff welfare, infrastructure challenges, salary arrears, and the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement.
Recent negotiations between the government and the union failed to prevent the strike. Two weeks ago, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, said discussions were nearing completion, stating that the government had released N50 billion for earned academic allowances and earmarked N150 billion in the 2025 budget for a needs assessment, to be disbursed in three instalments. However, ASUU dismissed these provisions as inadequate.
The union is demanding the full implementation of the 2009 agreement, payment of three and a half months of withheld salaries, sustainable funding for universities, protection from victimisation, settlement of outstanding promotion and salary arrears, and release of withheld cooperative and union deduction funds.
The NLC reaffirmed its full support for ASUU and other tertiary institution unions, urging strong participation from all labour leaders.
It also reiterated its stance on the principle of “No Pay, No Work”, calling on the government to honour its agreements and respect workers’ rights.
The emergency meeting is expected to determine the next course of industrial action and outline strategies to protect the welfare of university staff, as well as preserve the quality and continuity of public tertiary education in Nigeria.
