The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) criticized the government's "No work, No pay" stance and voiced support with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) striking members on Monday.
ASUU's current warning strike is a "direct consequence" of the government's failure to uphold collectively bargained agreements, according to a statement released by the NLC by its president, Joe Ajaero.
Mr. Ajaero urged the federal government to immediately abandon its threats and utilize the two-week period to resolve the main points of the agreements that were made with ASUU.
He claimed that public tertiary institutions are being undermined by the government's persistent failure to carry out agreements that were voluntarily agreed with employees and lecturers.
The ongoing problem in Nigeria's public education system, which is characterized by chronic underfunding and a refusal to uphold agreements, he said, gravely concerns the NLC.
The administration has turned to the ineffective threat of "No Work, No Pay" instead of working in good faith to address the situation. This is a misrepresentation of the facts. "The state, not the scholars, is responsible for the breach of contract," he stated.
Given this, the Nigeria Labour Congress hereby affirms its unwavering support for ASUU and all other tertiary education sector unions.
Mr. Ajaero pointed out that although the academics are willing to work, the government has prevented them from doing so since it keeps breaking its promises.
"This conflict goes beyond a single labor issue. It represents a larger social problem. "The children of the working class and poor are left in a public education system that is being systematically weakened, while the children of the elite attend private institutions or study abroad," he stated.
This results in a gap in education that restricts social mobility and upholds inequality. A progressive country must have an educated citizenry, and the current strategy seems to be intended to keep high-quality education a luxury for the wealthy and powerful.
The president of the NLC announced that in order to create a thorough plan for interacting with the government, the organization will call an urgent conference of its affiliates in the tertiary education sector.
According to him, the NLC will no longer permit university-based unions to operate independently because ASUU's fight is for both public education and Nigeria's future.
The statement also said, "We serve notice that the NLC will not stand idly by if, following this two-week warning strike, the government remains unresponsive."
"The decision is straightforward: either uphold the agreements and save public education, or confront the determined and cohesive power of the entire Nigerian workforce."
Tags:
Education