NLC Gives FG 2 Weeks To Address Core Issues With ASUU
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says it will take immediate action if within two weeks the Federal Government fails to address the core issues that led to the ongoing warning strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The NLC in a statement on Monday by its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero said “the government’s continued refusal to implement agreements voluntarily reached with lecturers and workers is undermining public tertiary institutions.
“The commencement of a two-week warning strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is a direct consequence of the Federal Government’s refusal to honour collectively bargained agreements. This action is a necessary response to the neglect of a fundamental pillar of society.”
The NLC said rather than engaging in good faith to resolve the crisis, the government has resorted to the unproductive threat of “No Work, No Pay.”
“This misrepresents the situation. The breach of contract lies with the state, not the scholars. The lecturers are willing to work, but the government, by reneging on its commitments, has made it impossible for them to do so with the dignity and conditions their profession deserves. The core principle remains: ‘No Pay, No Work’,” the statement added.
The NLC argued that the struggle by ASUU is beyond an isolated industrial dispute, but a reflection of a broader societal issue where children of the elite attend private institutions or study abroad while the children of the working class and the poor are left in a public education system that has been systematically weakened.
It reminded the government that the current neglect of the education system has created 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.”
The NLC, therefore, said the Federal Government should 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 NLC warned.
