On Tuesday, July 26, 2022, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, will begin a two-day statewide protest in support of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and other affiliate unions regarding the ongoing industrial action in Nigeria’s public universities.
Nationwide President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, informed colleagues that the national days of protest were in support of unions in Nigeria’s public institutions who are fighting for excellent education in a circular addressed to state councils of NLC by the national secretariat on Sunday.
He stated that the demonstration of unity will remain until Wednesday, July 27, 2022, and was a part of efforts to bring pupils back in the classroom.
“In line with the decisions of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Nigeria Labour Congress held on the 30th of June 2022, we have scheduled as follows the national days of protest to get our children back to school and support our unions in Nigeria’s public universities fighting for quality education.
“You are requested to immediately convene the meetings of your SAC to disseminate this information and to fully mobilize workers in the states for this very important protest for good governance,” Comrade Wabba said in the circular jointly signed by the NLC general secretary, Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja.
Another development is the NLC accusing the federal government of not engaging in good faith negotiations to end the crisis in Nigeria’s public universities.
In a different statement on Sunday, Comrade Wabba raised alarm over media allegations that the federal government may have rejected its own Prof. Nimi-Briggs Committee due to an alleged wage gap between teaching employees at universities and non-teaching staff.
The statement reads in part, “It is a shocker for us to read from the media snippets of a report of what is strictly the product of a negotiation between the federal government committee and the concerned trade unions.