NLC issues 4 week ultimatum to FG, declares no pay, no work stance
By Obasola Olatunde
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and a coalition of education sector unions have declared a firm no pay, no work policy, directly challenging the Federal Government’s enforcement of the no work, no pay rule against striking university lecturers.
In a critical move to escalate the crisis, the NLC has issued a four-week ultimatum to the government to conclude all outstanding negotiations related to the 2009 agreements with tertiary institution unions or face a nationwide industrial action.
The resolution was the result of a high-level meeting held in Abuja on Monday, bringing together NLC President Comrade Joe Ajaero and leaders from across the education sector, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), among others.
Ajaero announced that the unions have resolved to present a united front to fight for fair treatment and sustainable education funding.
He issued a stern warning against the government's pattern of signing and reneging on agreements.
"The era of government signing an agreement, reneging on it, and still threatening unions is over," Ajaero declared. He added, "You can’t cause a crisis and then punish those reacting to it. From now on, it’s no pay, no work."
The NLC President accused past administrations of instigating most industrial actions through a failure to honour agreements.
He stated that the NLC will now refuse to negotiate with government representatives who lack the clear mandates required to make binding commitments.
To push their demands which include improved funding, wage structure review, and respect for trade union rights the NLC announced the formation of a coordinated action team.
"We’ve given the Federal Government four weeks to conclude all negotiations. The problem in the education sector goes beyond ASUU; it affects all unions. If after four weeks nothing changes, we’ll mobilise all workers across the country for a total shutdown,” Ajaero warned.
He also stressed the need for the government to align the budgetary allocation for education with UNESCO’s recommendation of 25–26% to address persistent underfunding.
Meanwhile, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has commenced negotiations with the Federal Government over its ongoing two-week warning strike, which has paralyzed academic activities across public universities nationwide.
In Strike Bulletin No. 2, the union's National Strike Coordinating Committee (NSCC), signed by Dr. Christopher Piwuna, confirmed that talks have advanced and that progress was recorded in several contentious areas.
These include the release of third-party deductions, payment of promotion arrears, mainstreaming of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), and resolution of disputes concerning the confiscation of University of Abuja land. Progress was also noted in addressing the victimisation of members at Kogi State University (KSU), Lagos State University (LASU), and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).
The warning strike is scheduled to end next week Monday, pending the outcome of these ongoing negotiations.