The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a four-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to conclude all ongoing negotiations with tertiary institutions-based unions or face a nationwide industrial action.
NLC President Joe Ajaero made this known during an interactive session with labour correspondents on Monday in Abuja, following a meeting with leaders of unions representing workers in the tertiary education sector.
Ajaero condemned the no-work-no-pay policy introduced by the government as a punitive measure against members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), describing it as unjust and provocative.
“We have decided to give the federal government four weeks to conclude all negotiations in this sector. They have started talks with ASUU but the problem goes beyond ASUU. If after four weeks nothing is done, the organs of the NEC will meet and take a nationwide action involving all workers in the country,” Ajaero declared.
He further criticized the government’s handling of labour disputes in the education sector, warning that the era of signing agreements without implementation had ended.
“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,” he added.
Nigeria’s tertiary education system has faced chronic instability, worsened by the ongoing nationwide strike by ASUU. The union’s National President, Professor Chris Piwuna, announced the strike after a 14-day ultimatum issued to the government expired on September 28, citing unresolved issues including staff welfare, infrastructure decay, unpaid salaries, and the non-implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.
Despite recent talks and the government’s release of ₦50 billion for earned allowances and a ₦150 billion allocation for needs assessment in the 2025 budget, ASUU described the measures as inadequate.
The union is demanding the full implementation of the 2009 agreement, payment of three and a half months of withheld salaries, improved funding for universities, and the release of all withheld deductions meant for cooperatives and union contributions.
Reaffirming its solidarity with ASUU and other tertiary education unions, the NLC vowed to mobilize all affiliate unions if the government fails to act within the stipulated four weeks.
The emergency meeting concluded with a call for urgent reforms to safeguard staff welfare, uphold collective bargaining rights, and ensure the stability and quality of Nigeria’s public tertiary education system.
