THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a four-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to resolve all outstanding issues with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) or face a nationwide shutdown.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, made this known in Abuja today after a meeting with leaders of unions in tertiary institutions.
According to him, the ultimatum gives the government sufficient time to address lingering concerns, including the full implementation of the 2009 ASUU-FG agreement.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Labour House, where several education union leaders were present, Ajaero warned that failure by the government to meet these demands would compel the labour movement to commence an indefinite strike in solidarity with ASUU and other affected unions.
He emphasized that labour unions were open to dialogue if the government demonstrated sincerity, but cautioned that continued neglect of workers’ welfare would leave them with no option but to “shut down the country.”
The warning comes amid an ongoing two-week “total and comprehensive” strike declared by ASUU last Sunday.
The union’s president, Chris Piwuna, explained that the industrial action followed the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued on September 28, citing unresolved issues such as staff welfare, poor infrastructure, salary arrears, and the non-implementation of the 2009 agreement.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has criticised ASUU’s decision, insisting it has addressed most of the union’s demands.
In response to the strike, the Ministry of Education directed universities to enforce the “No Work, No Pay” policy, in line with labour laws, and instructed vice-chancellors to conduct roll-calls and submit reports of academic staff present at work.
As tensions escalate, the NLC’s intervention signals a possible broader industrial crisis if the government fails to act swiftly to avert a nationwide shutdown of essential sectors.