ASUU Strike: NLC Warns FG over ‘No Work, No Pay’ Policy, Vows Solidarity with Union

• NLC warns against enforcing “no work, no pay” on ASUU, says it could spark nationwide unrest
• Ajaero declares NLC’s full solidarity with university lecturers, urging government to act within two weeks
• Labour Congress says current education policies widen inequality and threaten Nigeria’s development

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned the Federal Government to withdraw its threat to enforce the “no work, no pay” policy on members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The labour body said such a move would deepen the crisis in the education sector and risk a nationwide shutdown.

NLC warns FG over ASUU policy threat

NLC president Joe Ajaero, in a statement issued on Monday, October 13 urged the government to utilise the two-week window of ASUU’s warning strike to address all outstanding issues, Daily Trust reported.

He said the union’s agitation reflects a national struggle for the future of education in Nigeria.

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ASUU branches across universities nationwide have been directed to embark on a two-week total and comprehensive strike over unresolved agreements with the government.

The federal government, citing labour laws and sections of the constitution, has insisted it will apply the “no work, no pay” rule if lecturers proceed with the industrial action.

Ajaero described the policy as counterproductive and unjust, saying the lecturers’ grievances go beyond salary matters. He noted that the widening gap between public and private education was robbing poor and middle-class families of fair opportunities.

“This struggle extends beyond an isolated industrial dispute. It reflects a broader societal issue. While the children of the elite attend private institutions or study abroad, the children of the working class and the poor are left in a public education system being systematically weakened,” Ajaero stated.

Labour vows solidarity with striking lecturers

Ajaero said NLC stands in full solidarity with ASUU and other unions in the tertiary education sector. The Congress warned that any attempt to suppress the lecturers’ struggle would attract a nationwide response.

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“We call on the Federal Government to immediately set aside its threats and address the core issues in the negotiated agreements with ASUU. We serve notice that if, after this two-week warning strike, the government remains unresponsive, the NLC will not stand idly by,” Ajaero said.

According to him, the NLC will convene an emergency meeting with its affiliates in the tertiary education sector to develop a unified plan of action should the government fail to act.

He concluded that the choice before the government is clear: honour the agreements and save the nation’s public universities or face the collective resistance of the Nigerian workforce.

Section of lecturers pull out of ASUU strike

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Congress of University Academics (CONUA) distanced itself from reports linking it to any ongoing or planned strike action in Nigerian universities, reaffirming its commitment to academic stability and continued dialogue with the Federal Government.

In a statement issued by its national president, Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, the union described the circulating claims of its involvement in an industrial action as false and misleading.

Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng