PHOTO: Nigeria Labour Congress.
In order to discuss the ongoing university strike and other issues brought up by employees in postsecondary institutions across the country, the Nigeria Labour Congress has begun a meeting with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics. The NLC national office in Abuja is the present location of the gathering.
In order to identify long-term solutions to problems resulting from unsuccessful discussions with the federal government, the NLC, in a letter, called all union leaders from various higher schools of learning across the country to a meeting.
Chronic instability has plagued Nigeria's higher education system, most recently resulting in university closures across the country as a result of the ongoing ASUU strike.
Remember how ASUU National President Professor Chris Piwuna declared the strike during a news conference at the University of Abuja on Sunday? The strike came after the government was given a 14-day ultimatum on September 28. The union listed ongoing problems with infrastructure, salary arrears, personnel welfare, and the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement's execution.
Recent weeks of negotiations were unsuccessful in preventing industrial action. The government has released N50 billion for earned academic allowances and set aside N150 billion in the 2025 budget for a needs assessment, which would be paid out in three installments, according to Education Minister Tunji Alausa, who said two weeks ago that negotiations had reached a final stage. ASUU, however, condemned these actions as inadequate.
The union is requesting that the 2009 agreement be fully implemented, that three-and-a-half months' worth of withheld salaries be released, that universities receive sustainable funding, that victims be protected, that unpaid promotion and salary arrears be paid, and that withheld deductions for cooperatives and union contributions be released.
The NLC called for strong engagement from all union leaders and emphasized its complete solidarity with ASUU and other tertiary education unions. Additionally, it emphasized the idea of a counterargument known as "No Pay, No Work," which calls on the government to uphold collective bargaining agreements and workers' rights.
In addition to discussing ways to protect university employees' well-being and the continuity and quality of public tertiary education in Nigeria, the emergency conference is anticipated to map out the next steps for industrial action.
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Education