The Nigeria Labour Congress has tasked the Federal Government to resolve the ongoing industrial dispute with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities and the National Association of Academic Technologists.
The labour union advised the government to inaugurate a panel with mandate to resolve the conflicts within 21 days.
The NLC made the demand in a statement by its President, Ayuba Wabba; and General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, after a meeting with its affiliate unions in the education sector.
The union said it would be convening a special meeting of the Central Working Committee of all the affiliate unions of the NLC to decide on the next line of action at the expiration of the ultimatum.
The statement read that “The Congress call on the Federal Government to immediately set up a High-Powered Panel constituted of members with requisite mandates to resolve within 21 days the foregoing issues militating against industrial harmony in Nigeria’s university system.
“And, pursuant to the foregoing resolution, the Nigeria Labour Congress would be convening a Special Meeting of the Central Working Committee of all the affiliate unions of the Congress to decide on the next line of action.”
It expressed concerns on the protracted strikes and other industrial actions in Nigeria’s public tertiary education system, recalling that it wrote the Ministers of Education, Labour and Employment, Finance, Budget and National Planning, and the Accountant General of the Federation to avert shutdown in the education sector.
