The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given the Federal Government a four-week ultimatum to conclude negotiations with all tertiary institution-based unions or face nationwide industrial action.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, disclosed this on Monday during an interactive session with labour correspondents in Abuja. The meeting followed a closed-door session between the NLC and leaders of unions in the tertiary education sector at the congress headquarters.
Ajaero also condemned the Federal Government’s “no-work-no-pay” policy against members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for embarking on their ongoing nationwide strike.
“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 problems in this sector go beyond ASUU,” Ajaero said.
“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 has come to an end. 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 strike actions in this country are caused by failure to obey agreements,” he added.
Nigeria’s tertiary education system has continued to experience disruptions following the latest strike declared by ASUU. The union’s National President, Professor Chris Piwuna, announced the industrial action at a press briefing at the University of Abuja on Sunday after the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the government on September 28.
ASUU cited unresolved issues relating to staff welfare, infrastructure, unpaid salaries, and the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement.
Despite recent negotiations, the strike was not averted. Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, had earlier announced that talks with the union were in their final phase and that the government had released ₦50 billion for earned academic allowances and included ₦150 billion in the 2025 budget for a needs assessment. However, ASUU rejected the offer, describing it as inadequate.
The union is demanding full implementation of the 2009 agreement, release of three-and-a-half months of withheld salaries, sustainable funding for universities, protection against victimisation, payment of outstanding promotion arrears, and release of cooperative and union deductions.
The NLC reiterated its full support for ASUU and other tertiary unions, calling on all workers to prepare for a possible nationwide strike if the government fails to meet the demands within the four-week deadline.