NLC Backs ASUU, Slams FG Over ‘No Work, No Pay’ Policy

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday voiced its support for the striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and criticised the government’s enforcement of a ‘No work, No Pay’ rule.

In a statement from its president, Joe Ajaero, the NLC remarked that ASUU’s present warning strike stems directly from the government’s failure to adhere to collectively negotiated agreements.

Mr Ajaero urged the federal government to urgently abandon its threats and utilise the two-week timeframe to tackle the fundamental concerns outlined in the negotiations with ASUU.

He stated that the government’s ongoing refusal to fulfil the agreements willingly reached with faculty and employees is undermining public higher education institutions.

The NLC expressed profound concern over the ongoing crisis in Nigeria’s public education system, characterised by chronic underfunding and the failure to honour agreements.

“Instead of working in good faith to resolve this crisis, the government has resorted to the counterproductive threat of ‘No Work, No Pay’. This misrepresents the reality. The breach of contract resides with the state, not the educators,” he said.

“In this regard, the Nigeria Labour Congress fully supports ASUU and all other unions within the higher education sector.”

Mr Ajaero pointed out that the lecturers desire to continue their work, but the government has made it unfeasible as it consistently fails to meet its obligations.

“This struggle transcends a singular industrial dispute. It mirrors a wider societal issue. While the elite’s children attend private universities or study abroad, the children of the working class and the underprivileged remain in a public education system being deliberately undermined,” he stated.

“This creates an educational divide that restricts social mobility and exacerbates inequality. An educated populace is crucial for a progressive nation, yet the current stance seems aimed at treating quality education as a privilege for a select few.”

The NLC president mentioned that an emergency meeting will be held with its affiliates in the higher education sector to devise a comprehensive strategy for engaging the government.

He remarked that the NLC will no longer permit university-based unions to act independently, as ASUU’s fight is a battle for public education and, ultimately, for Nigeria’s future.

“We hereby notify you that if the government remains unresponsive after this two-week warning strike, the NLC will not remain passive,” the statement continued.

“The choice is evident: honour the agreements and restore public education or confront the determined and unified strength of the entire Nigerian workforce.”

ASUU’s initial nationwide strike in nearly three years commenced on Monday as a two-week warning strike, following the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum given to the federal government to meet the union’s ongoing demands.

However, the Minister of Education quickly retaliated with a ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy, instructing university vice-chancellors to monitor faculty members who did not attend work.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the strike, expected to last for two weeks, disrupted examinations at several institutions nationwide.

ASUU has been in conflict with the Nigerian government for over a decade regarding its working conditions and university funding based on a 2009 agreement.

The issues outlined by ASUU include finalising the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, payment of three-and-a-half months’ withheld salaries, sustainable funding for public universities, and revitalising the institutions.

Additionally, they demand the payment of outstanding salary arrears ranging from 25 to 35 per cent, the settlement of promotion arrears that have been pending for over four years, and the release of deducted cooperative contributions that have been withheld.

Negotiations for the 2009 agreement have been inactive since 2017, during which the government has set up at least six committees but failed to sign or execute the proposals they produced.

The most recent draft was delivered by the committee led by Yayale Ahmed, which was established in October 2024. According to ASUU President Chris Piwuna, the committee’s report was reportedly submitted to the government in December 2024, yet the minister claimed he did not receive it until February.

Professor Piwuna stated that the minister delayed forming another committee to review the draft until August, after which ASUU did not receive further communication until about ten days into its two-week ultimatum.

During the meeting on Friday, October 10, ASUU’s president remarked that the government’s proposal differed significantly from the draft provided by Mr Ahmed’s committee.