The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Monday, warned the federal government to stop bullying members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) with its “unproductive ‘no work, no pay’ policy”.
The Congress said it would not hesitate to mobilise all workers across the country including those critical sectors to paralyse economy if the government failed to meet ASUU’s demands.
President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, who gave the warning in a statement shared with newsmen on Monday, urged the government to withdraw its threat against ASUU and use the two-week window to resolve all the issues.
Recall that the national leadership of ASUU had directed all its branches across all universities nationwide to embark on a two-week total and comprehensive warning strike against the government over unmet demands.
But the government, in a circular to vice chancellors threatened that it would invoke ‘no work no pay’ policy if the university teachers carried out their directive.
However, reacting to the directive, Ajaero said ASUU’s struggle is not a fight of university teachers alone but a fight for Nigeria’s future, insisting that any attempt by government to invoke ‘no work no pay’ will be met with stiff resistance.
The statement read in part: “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.
“This creates an educational divide that limits social mobility and perpetuates inequality. An educated populace is essential for a progressive nation, and the current approach appears designed to reserve quality education as a commodity for the privileged few.
“In light of this, the Nigeria Labour Congress hereby declares its full solidarity with ASUU and all other unions in the tertiary education sector. Consequently, we state the following:
“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.
“The NLC will convene an emergency meeting with its affiliates in the tertiary education sector to develop a comprehensive strategy for engaging the government.
“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.
“We demand that the Federal Government use this two-week window to present a concrete plan for the full implementation of all agreements.
“The choice is clear: honour the agreements and salvage public education, or face the resolute and unified force of the entire Nigerian workforce,” the statement added.
