NLC Decries Strike, Promises To Prevail Over ASUU To Resume Negotiations

NLC President Abdulwahed Omar
NLC President Abdulwahed Omar

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has said it would convince the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to return to the negotiation table and seek a permanent solution to the crises, as its previous negotiations with the federal government yielded no fruit.

Negotiations between the union and the government had been deadlocked with the union accusing the government of insincerity and the government accusing the union of deliberately frustrating peace moves.

The President of the NLC, Mr. Abdulwahed Omar, said this at a media briefing after an emergency meeting of the congress in Abuja yesterday where he lamented that the ongoing strike by ASUU had been allowed to drag this long.

“We will engage ASUU in consultations to ensure that they return to the negotiation tables, not only to come back to the negotiation table but to engage in negotiations that will lead to lasting solution to the prolonged crises,” he said.

He expressed the readiness of the NLC to be directly involved in the negotiations.

“It is a serious situation that we are having to allow lecturers to be out of classroom for more than two months,” Omar lamented.

He also spoke on the decentralisation of the minimum wage by the Senate during the constitutional amendment process describing it as a danger to the welfare of the working class.

“Putting the minimum wage on the exclusive list is not an accident. It is to ensure that workers are taken care of. It is a minimum wage, not a maximum wage, it is a benchmark, no two employers are paying the same thing, but there must be a minimum,” he said.

Omar disclosed that the NLC was awaiting a concurrence from the Trade Union Congress (TUC) before deciding on the next line of action. He, however, noted that it was not too late for the Senate to retrace its steps.

11 COMMENTS

  1. Asuu strike is for their self interest not for the welfare of the students, why did they go for strike for lack of employment for the thousand students they are graduating that are jobless, rather all they go for stike for is increasment of their retirement age, their allowances etc. They should join with the govt to build this nation instead of using politics to distaberlise Jonathan regime by going to strike as a cover up.

  2. Asuu strike is for their self interest not for the welfare of the students, why did’nt they go for strike for lack of employment for the thousand students they are graduating that are jobless, rather all they go for stike for is increasment of their retirement age, their allowances etc. They should join with the govt to build this nation instead of using politics to distaberlise Jonathan regime by going to strike as a cover up.

  3. Surely ASUU strike is not mean for the benefit of the students,rather is meaned for their own personal interest,why is it like that please?why can’t you fight for the students right too,instead of your own benefit please let it be the benefit of the whole nations!!!

  4. The judgement day is going to be terrific, i knw ASUU is demanding for the implementation of FG/ASUU agreement of 2009 which is 7 things, buh all our lecturers arent helping the nation as they are not using what they have, doctorate, professorshi and so on to invent somtin reasonable in the nation, they like spending their money to go for summer wt their kids in abroad…govt is relunctant because he knows the money they are giving them is going wtout any feedback…God wl have mercy on Our leaders and our nation at large

  5. We are students,all we want,is for asuu to plz call of the strike.we’v bin at home for about 2mnth nd more.we are tired of all this.let the F.G plz negociate with asuu,so as to call the strike off.or rather let them be in the hands of God,hence F.G do nt want to pay the remain balance of the money.instead, they prefear embesulling it wit their families and leaving we the masses to suffer,while their kids are abroad schooling.i jst pray the strike should be called off before next week.GOD bless nigeria.one nation, one people,peace lovers.

  6. hahaha..do u knw y i lagh?..i lagh cos nigeria govt are thieves,bunch of grand theft of the great order,1st of all the so caled asuu are also bunch of barawo! Meanin criminals plus lecturer dat doesnt even hv d tym to teach?rada dey cm to class hall whn dey feel lik comin…if i may ask wht is the sole aim of dis strike? Is it nt for there own pockets..d so caled asuu president if u investigate its children ar in abroad..infact if i start blogin dis issue i wil keep on writing til jesus comes..D sumary of this is nigerians as a whole both president..being gudluck..senator being payous ayime..& asuu delegates..plus d kabals are all thievesssssssssssssssssssssss…oleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…criminalsssssssssssss…barawooooooooooooooo…