The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned that it may summon an emergency congress of all its affiliates if the Federal Government fails to meet the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which is currently on a two-week warning strike.
In a statement issued on Monday and signed by its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the NLC criticised what it described as the government’s “intimidation tactics,” particularly the implementation of the “No Work, No Pay” policy, insisting that such measures would only worsen the crisis in the education sector.
Ajaero said the ongoing strike was not a sudden action but the outcome of the government’s continuous failure to honour agreements reached with university lecturers and other education sector workers.
“The commencement of a two-week warning strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is a direct consequence of the Federal Government’s refusal to honour collectively bargained agreements,” the NLC said. “This action is a necessary response to the neglect of a fundamental pillar of our society.”
The Labour Congress faulted the government’s stance on the “No Work, No Pay” directive, arguing that the lecturers were not the ones in breach of contract.
“The breach of contract lies with the state, not the scholars,” Ajaero maintained. “The lecturers are willing to work, but the government, by reneging on its commitments, has made it impossible for them to do so with the dignity and conditions their profession deserves.”
The Congress further warned that the persistent neglect of public universities could have grave consequences for national development, particularly for the country’s youth population.
“This creates an educational divide that limits social mobility and perpetuates inequality,” the statement read. “An educated populace remains essential for national progress.”
Reaffirming solidarity with ASUU, the NLC declared that it would not stand by while the future of the nation’s students continues to hang in the balance.
“The struggle of ASUU is our struggle. The fight for public education is a fight for Nigeria’s future. We will no longer allow these unions to stand alone,” the NLC asserted.
The Labour Congress gave the Federal Government until the end of ASUU’s two-week warning strike to take concrete action, warning that failure to do so could trigger a nationwide mobilisation of workers.
“If the government fails to act decisively by the end of this warning strike, the Congress will convene an emergency session to decide on broader labour actions in solidarity with the lecturers,” the statement concluded.
