By Cross Udo, Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliate unions from the education sector on Monday declared ‘no pay, no work’, in response to the Federal Government declaration of ‘no work, no pay’ policy as a result of the ongoing two-week warning strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The NLC, alongside the unions, also gave the Federal Government a four-week ultimatum to conclude outstanding renegotiations of the 2009 agreements.
The unions include ASUU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP), the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), the College of Education Staff Union (COESU), among others.
The unions resolved to team up and work as one body in their agitations and struggles with the government.
Speaking at the meeting, President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said that it was resolved that the era of government signing an agreement, reneging on the same deal and at the same time threatening the unions was over.
He further accused the government of always instigating crises, which usually culminate in strike actions.
“The NLC, after extensive deliberation with the unions in the tertiary institutions on finding solutions to the perennial problems in that sector, decided to brief you guys that we have resolved at the level of NLC to work with the unions to make sure that we can find a lasting solution to the problems that they have been facing all these years.
“We have decided to establish a framework for engagement towards implementation of agreements, outstanding agreements, and towards sustainable funding of education, in line with UNESCO principles of 25 per cent, 26 per cent funding of education, and review of wage structures and allowances in the tertiary institutions, as well as respect for trade union rights of collective bargaining.
In this regard, we discovered that those governments sent to meetings go there without a mandate. Henceforth, nobody, the trade unions, either in the tertiary institutions or anywhere, will go into any meeting with government representatives who don’t have mandates. Well, that is what is at the point of this crisis.
“You go and finish a negotiation, you sign an agreement, and then you go back to renage, never again. We will not condone this act. All over the world, agreements are held in a severe dimension.”
On the development of a coordinated team, the NLC President said: “We have agreed to set up a coordinated team and then ensure that we embark on a national campaign, henceforth.
“But to conclude it, we have decided to give the federal government four weeks to conclude all negotiations in this sector. They have started talks with ASUU, but the problem in this sector goes beyond ASUU or one union. All other unions are equally involved.
“That is why we are extending this to four weeks. If after four weeks this negotiation is not concluded, the organs of the NLC will meet and take a nationwide action that all workers in the country, all unions in the country will be involved, so that we get to the root of all this.
“The era of signing agreements, reneging and threatening the unions involved, that era has come to an end.
“The so-called policy of no work, no pay, should henceforth be no pay, no work. You can’t benefit from an action you instigated. We have discovered that 90% of strike actions in this country are caused by failure to obey agreements.
“And you can’t refuse to obey agreements, and you punish the other party. So it’s a problem of cause and effect. So the person who caused the problem will be ready to bear the consequence, and you can’t beat the child and ask the child not to cry.”
