ASUU Strike: NLC hits back at FG, declares ‘no pay, no work’, gives four-week ultimatum

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliate education unions have declared a “no pay, no work” stance in response to the Federal Government’s enforcement of a “no work, no pay” policy following the ongoing two-week warning strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

In a joint declaration on Monday, the NLC and the unions also handed the Federal Government a four-week ultimatum to conclude all outstanding renegotiations related to the 2009 agreements with university-based unions.

The unions involved include ASUU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP), the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), and the College of Education Staff Union (COESU), among others.

They resolved to unite and act as a single front in their ongoing struggle with the government.

Speaking after the meeting, NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, condemned what he described as the government’s persistent pattern of signing and reneging on agreements, saying the labour movement would no longer tolerate it.

“The NLC, after extensive deliberation with the unions in the tertiary institutions on finding solutions to the perennial problems in that sector, decided to brief you guys that we have resolved at the level of NLC to work with the unions to make sure that we are able to find a lasting solution on the problems that they have been facing all these years,” Ajaero said.

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He explained that the NLC had established a framework for engagement focused on implementing outstanding agreements, ensuring sustainable funding of education in line with UNESCO’s 25 to 26 percent funding principle, reviewing wage structures and allowances, and safeguarding the rights of trade unions to collective bargaining.

“On this regard, we discovered that those governments sent to meetings go there without mandate. Henceforth, nobody, the trade unions, either in the tertiary institutions or anywhere, will not go into any meeting with government representatives who don’t have mandates. Well, that is what is at the point of this crisis,” Ajaero said.

“You go and finish a negotiation, you sign an agreement, and then you go back to renege, never again. We will not condone this act. All over the world, agreements are held in very serious dimension.”

The labour leader further announced the formation of a coordinated campaign team, warning that if the Federal Government fails to conclude all negotiations within four weeks, the NLC would call a nationwide industrial action involving all workers across sectors.

“We have agreed to set up a coordinated team and then ensure that we embark on national campaign, henceforth. But to conclude it, 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 or one union. All other unions are equally involved,” Ajaero said.

“That is why we are extending this to four weeks. If after four weeks this negotiation is not concluded, the organs of the NLC 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.”

He added that the Federal Government must stop punishing workers for crises it provokes through neglect and failed promises.

“The era of signing agreements, reneging and threatening the unions involved, that era has come to an end. The so-called policy of no work, no pay, should henceforth be no pay, no work. You can’t benefit from an action you instigated. We have discovered that 90% of strike actions in this country are caused by failure to obey agreements.

“And you can’t refuse to obey agreements and you punish the other party. So it’s a problem of cause and effect. So the person that caused the problem will be ready to bear the consequence and you can’t beat the child and ask the child not to cry,” he said.

With the clock ticking on the four-week ultimatum, the NLC’s latest declaration signals a possible escalation in the face-off between the government and the nation’s academic unions unless meaningful progress is achieved soon.

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