By Ayomide Otitoju
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a four-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) or face a nationwide shutdown by organised labour.
NLC President Joe Ajaero announced the ultimatum on Monday in Abuja following a meeting with leaders of unions in the tertiary education sector. He said the timeframe would allow the government to resolve all outstanding issues, including the implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Labour House, with national leaders of various educational unions in attendance, Ajaero warned that labour would commence an indefinite strike if the government fails to act within the four-week window.
“If the Federal Government is sincere, we can end all industrial actions immediately. But if it continues to take labour for granted, we will have no choice but to shut down the country,” Ajaero stated.
The ultimatum follows a two-week “total and comprehensive” strike declared by ASUU last Sunday after the expiration of a 14-day notice issued to the government on September 28.
ASUU President Chris Piwuna said the strike was due to the government’s failure to address key issues, including staff welfare, infrastructure deficits, implementation of the 2009 agreement, and payment of salary arrears.
In response, the Federal Government criticised ASUU’s action, insisting efforts were ongoing to meet the union’s demands. The Ministry of Education subsequently directed universities to enforce the “No Work, No Pay” policy, warning that employees who fail to perform their duties during the strike would forfeit their salaries.
A circular from the ministry also instructed vice-chancellors to conduct roll calls and physical headcounts of academic staff and submit reports indicating those present at work.
