NLC ISSUES FOUR-WEEK ULTIMATUM TO FG OVER TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS’ UNION NEGOTIATIONS. (PHOTO).

 NLC Issues Four-Week Ultimatum to FG Over Tertiary Institutions’ Union Negotiations

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given the Federal Government a four-week ultimatum to conclude negotiations with all tertiary institution-based unions, threatening nationwide industrial action if the deadline is not met. The announcement was made by NLC President Joe Ajaero during an interactive session with labour correspondents in Abuja, following a meeting with leaders of tertiary institutions’ unions at the NLC headquarters.

The NLC condemned the government’s “no-work-no-pay” policy targeting members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for their ongoing nationwide strike, describing it as punitive. Ajaero declared, “The policy of no work, no pay will henceforth be no pay, no work. You can’t benefit from an action you instigated.” He attributed 90% of strike actions in Nigeria to the government’s failure to honor agreements, signaling an end to such practices.

The ultimatum follows the closure of universities nationwide due to ASUU’s strike, which began after the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the government on September 28. ASUU National President Professor Chris Piwuna cited unresolved issues, including staff welfare, infrastructure deficits, salary arrears, and the unimplemented 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, as reasons for the strike.

Recent negotiations have failed to resolve the crisis. Education Minister Tunji Alausa disclosed two weeks ago that the government had released N50 billion for earned academic allowances and allocated N150 billion in the 2025 budget for university needs assessments, to be disbursed in three instalments. However, ASUU rejected these measures as inadequate, demanding full implementation of the 2009 agreement, payment of three-and-a-half months of withheld salaries, sustainable university funding, protection against victimisation, and release of outstanding promotion arrears and withheld cooperative contributions.

Ajaero emphasized the NLC’s solidarity with ASUU and other tertiary education unions, stating, “We have decided to give the Federal Government four weeks to conclude all negotiations in this sector. If negotiations are not concluded, the organs of the NLC will meet and take nationwide action involving all workers and unions in the country.” He stressed the need for robust participation from union leaders to address chronic instability in Nigeria’s higher education system.

The NLC’s emergency meeting is expected to outline further steps for industrial action and strategies to protect university staff welfare and ensure the continuity of quality public tertiary education in Nigeria.