JUST IN: NLC issues 4-week ultimatum to FG over ASUU strike

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given the Federal Government a four-week ultimatum to resolve the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) or face a nationwide industrial action.

This resolution was reached on Monday during a closed-door meeting at the Labour House in Abuja, which was attended by NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, ASUU representatives, and leaders of other education sector unions.

Speaking after the meeting, Ajaero emphasized that the congress remains committed to defending the rights of Nigerian workers and ensuring the restoration of normal academic activities in public universities.

He noted that while discussions with the government had resumed, previous negotiations were often followed by non-implementation.

He stated, “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.”

During the session, Ajaero criticised the federal government’s no-work-no-pay policy against striking university lecturers, describing it as punitive and counterproductive.

He said, “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 per cent of strike actions in this country are caused by failure to obey agreements.”

The NLC President emphasised that the congress would no longer tolerate the government’s repeated breaches of negotiated agreements, insisting that workers would collectively resist any further delay in implementing key demands.

ASUU’s demands include the full implementation of the 2009 agreement, payment of three-and-a-half months of withheld salaries, sustainable university funding, protection from victimisation, settlement of outstanding promotion and salary arrears, and release of withheld cooperative and union deductions.

Recall that Monday’s meeting, was attended by leaders of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP).