The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has faulted the Federal Government over its handling of the industrial actions that have grounded activities in public universities.
It is also calling on the Federal Government to pay the salaries of the striking workers, which it said had since “been frozen on the premise of the so-called ‘no work-no pay’ policy”.
The request for the payment of the workers is one of two demands the top labour union made in a statement on Sunday, five months after a strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) began.
Other unions in public universities have since commenced industrial action, strengthening the ASUU strike which started on February 14, disrupting the education of millions of Nigerian students.In the statement signed by its President, Ayuba Waba, the NLC demanded, “The Federal Government should immediately conclude the ongoing negotiation with trade unions in Nigeria’s universities and be prepared to commence implementation of whatever Collective Bargaining Agreement arising therefrom so that public universities in Nigeria can resume normal activities.”
Hopes that the strike which is now in its fifth month will be resolved any time soon have looked slim as the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Labour and Employment, and ASUU have traded accusations with talks since abandoned.
The NLC is troubled by the development and the sincerity of the Federal Government in its negotiations with the university unions.
It stated this in its statement titled ‘Federal Government Not Negotiating In Good Faith to resolve the crisis in Nigeria’s Public Universities’.
Of particular concern are reports that the government may have rejected a report by a committee it set up over the strike.
