NLC Declares “No Pay, No Work” as Unions Demand Resolution of ASUU Dispute

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday announced a policy of “no pay, no work” in response to the Federal Government’s move to apply “no work, no pay” against members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) during the ongoing two-week warning strike.

The NLC and several allied education unions gave the government a four-week deadline to conclude outstanding renegotiations of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, warning that failure to reach an agreement would prompt coordinated national action.

Unions aligned with the NLC in the decision include ASUU, SSANU, NASU, NAAT, ASUP, SSANIP, ASURI, COESU, and others. The federated group pledged to act jointly in pressing the government for lasting solutions to problems in the tertiary education sector.

Addressing journalists at the meeting, NLC President Joe Ajaero said the era when government signs agreements and later reneges on them while threatening unions must end. He accused successive administrations of provoking crises that predictably culminate in strikes.

“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… and review of wage structures and allowances in the tertiary institutions,” Ajaero said.

He added that unions will no longer attend negotiations with government representatives who lack clear mandates to conclude talks.

“You go and finish a negotiation, you sign an agreement, and then you go back to renege — never again. We will not condone this act,” he said.

On the coordinated response, Ajaero said the NLC has set up a joint team and will run a national campaign. The four-week window, he explained, covers the broader sector — not just ASUU.

“They have started talks with ASUU, but the problem in this sector goes beyond ASUU or one union. All other unions are equally involved… 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,” he warned.

Ajaero defended the unions’ reversal of the government’s “no work, no pay” policy, saying it would now be treated as “no pay, no work.”

“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,” he said, arguing that most strike action stems from broken agreements.

The NLC called for respect of collective bargaining rights, sustainable funding of education — citing UNESCO benchmarks — and a final resolution to the stalled 2009 agreement within the set timeframe.

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