NLC Gives FG Fresh Terms To End Varsity Strike— See Details

NLC Gives FG Fresh Terms To End Varsity Strike— See Details

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have joined forces to seek lasting solutions to the persistent disruptions in the academic calendar of Nigerian universities.

The NLC, on Monday, issued a four-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to conclude ongoing negotiations with all academic and non-academic unions in tertiary institutions.

The ultimatum followed a crucial meeting held at the NLC national headquarters in Abuja with leaders of ASUU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP), among others.

The meeting focused on the ongoing strike and other unresolved issues affecting staff across tertiary institutions.

The NLC convened the gathering to find a lasting resolution to challenges resulting from failed negotiations between the unions and the Federal Government.

Nigeria’s higher education system has suffered prolonged instability, with universities nationwide currently shut down due to the ongoing ASUU strike.

Recall that ASUU National President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, declared the strike on Sunday at a press briefing held at the University of Abuja, following the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued on September 28.

The union cited unresolved matters including staff welfare, infrastructure, salary arrears, and the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement. Despite recent negotiations, no breakthrough was achieved.

Two weeks ago, Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced that talks were in their final phase and revealed that the government had released ₦50 billion for earned academic allowances and earmarked ₦150 billion in the 2025 budget for a needs assessment to be paid in three instalments.

However, ASUU dismissed these measures as inadequate.

The union is demanding full implementation of the 2009 agreement, payment of three and a half months of withheld salaries, improved and sustainable university funding, protection against victimisation, settlement of outstanding promotion arrears, and release of withheld cooperative and union deductions.

The NLC reaffirmed its solidarity with ASUU and other tertiary education unions, urging active participation by all union leaders.

It also criticised the government’s “no-work, no-pay” policy, calling on authorities to honour collective agreements and uphold workers’ rights.

Briefing journalists at the end of the meeting, the national president of the NLC, Joe Ajaero said, “We have decided to give the federal government four weeks to conclude all negotiation 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 per cent of strike actions in this country, are caused by failure to obey agreements,” Ajaero said.

ASUU President, Prof. Piwuna, applauded the NLC’s intervention, stressing that the union would no longer negotiate with government representatives lacking the authority to make binding commitments.

He said, “we would no longer accept a situation where government will appoint its representatives to a meeting. You ask them whether they have a mandate to negotiate on the part of government. They say yes, only for them to turn back and bring to that same table offers that were totally out of what you had agreed with them, claiming that that is what their principal gave them.

“We will fully back the Nigerian Labour Congress in ensuring that that era where people would say they have mandates and turn around to bring to you alien documents to an agreement is totally over.

“We are willing to work with all our comrades to ensure that government does not take our unions for granted anymore and that government gives education the attention that it rightly deserves.”

The ongoing ASUU strike has now entered its eighth day, following the two-week warning strike declared last week.