Organised labour has called on the Federal Government to urgently resolve issues affecting non-teaching staff in tertiary institutions to avert an impending nationwide strike in public universities.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) made the call in a message to mark the 2026 May Day celebration on Friday in Abuja.
The two labour centres demanded immediate government intervention to prevent escalation of industrial tensions in the education sector.
The theme of the 2026 May Day celebration is “Insecurity, Poverty: Bane of Decent Work.”
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) had on Thursday declared an indefinite strike starting Friday over unresolved demands.
TUC President, Mr Festus Osifo, expressed concern over stalled agreements and unresolved demands of NASU and SSANU, warning that prolonged delays could trigger disruption of academic activities across federal universities.
“We are worried that these unresolved issues have dragged on for too long without concrete resolution. Government must act now to avoid a breakdown of industrial harmony in the university system,” he said.
Osifo noted that continued delay in addressing the issues could severely affect academic stability. He urged the government to engage labour unions urgently to prevent looming industrial unrest.
He called on the government to expedite renegotiation processes, clear pending salary arrears and allowances, stressing that industrial peace in the education sector must be prioritised for national development.
He condemned the continued withholding of salaries and delays in payment of arrears, describing them as unjust and capable of escalating tensions if not urgently addressed.
“We urge the Federal Government to correct anomalies in the payment of earned allowances and ensure fair treatment of all categories of university workers without further delay,” he said.
Osifo warned that failure to act swiftly on the demands of non-teaching staff unions could lead to avoidable industrial action with serious consequences for academic calendars and students.
NLC President, Mr Joe Ajaero, said non-teaching staff were critical to the effective functioning of universities and deserved improved welfare and timely resolution of outstanding labour disputes.
Ajaero noted that repeated breakdowns in negotiations have continued to undermine stability in the tertiary education sector. He called for sincerity, commitment, and accountability from government negotiators.
“We urge all parties to return to the negotiation table in good faith to prevent further disruption to academic and administrative activities in public universities,” he said.
He reaffirmed Organised Labour’s commitment to protecting workers’ rights while maintaining industrial harmony, but warned that the patience of workers should not be taken for granted.
