The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has urged government officials to desist from using the no-work-no-pay policy as an instrument of intimidation against workers engaged in legitimate industrial actions.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, the union’s General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, criticised repeated threats by government representatives to enforce the policy, describing such actions as unfair and inconsistent with the principles of just labour relations.
Adeyemi argued that the provision, often cited under Section 42(1)(a) of the Trade Disputes Act, was being misapplied to suppress lawful protests and demands by workers. “The no-work-no-pay clause was never designed as a weapon of oppression. It should not be used to criminalise legitimate struggles for justice, dignity, and the fulfilment of agreements,” he said.
He noted that strikes are not spontaneous disruptions but measures of last resort, typically taken after dialogue and all conciliatory efforts have failed. According to him, government officials often fail to uphold their own commitments or pay workers promptly, yet are quick to threaten punitive measures when employees protest such neglect.
“Where were these same officials when workers went months without salaries?” he asked. “The selective enforcement of no-work-no-pay while ignoring no-pay-no-work is unjust and contrary to the spirit of equity.”
Adeyemi emphasised that international labour standards, particularly ILO Conventions 87 and 98, protect the right to strike as an essential part of freedom of association and collective bargaining. He said penalising workers for participating in lawful strikes amounts to a breach of both international conventions and Nigeria’s own labour laws.
He further urged government authorities to view workers’ demands not as acts of defiance but as legitimate calls for justice and improved welfare. “No one is more patriotic than the Nigerian worker. Despite poor pay and unfulfilled promises, they continue to sustain the nation,” he said.
Adeyemi called on the government to strengthen collective bargaining mechanisms and honour agreements reached with unions to foster lasting industrial harmony. “Peace in the workplace cannot be achieved through threats or coercion, but through dialogue, trust, and respect for the law,” he added.
His comments followed the Federal Government’s directive of October 13, 2025, instructing vice-chancellors of federal universities to implement the no-work-no-pay policy against members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) currently on strike.
The circular reaffirmed the government’s stance that employees who refuse to perform their duties during strike actions are not entitled to wages. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has also condemned the directive, calling it an act of intimidation that would only deepen the crisis in the country’s tertiary education sector.
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