By JOAN NWAGWU

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given the Federal Government a four-week ultimatum to conclude all ongoing negotiations in the tertiary education sector.

Mr Joe Ajaero, NLC President, gave the ultimatum at an emergency news conference on Monday in Abuja after an extensive meeting with unions in the tertiary institutions.

He said the decision followed years of unfulfilled agreements and underfunding of the education sector, which had contributed to recurring strikes and instability in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

?We have decided to give the federal government four weeks to conclude all ongoing negotiations in the sector,? Ajaero said.

The president said that failure to meet the deadline would compel the NLC to mobilise all workers and unions across the country for a nationwide action.

?After four weeks, if no meaningful progress is made, the organs of the NLC will meet and take a nationwide action that will involve all workers and all unions in the country,? he added.

Ajaero added that the congress had resolved to work with education unions to ensure lasting solutions to the challenges in the sector.

He said the NLC had also established a framework for engagement toward implementing outstanding agreements and ensuring sustainable funding of the education sector.

?We are committed to ensuring that education in Nigeria receives adequate attention and sustainable funding in line with the minimum benchmark of 25 per cent budgetary allocation.

?We call for the review of wage structures and allowances for academic and non-academic staff to reflect current economic realities.

?The welfare of workers in our tertiary institutions is critical to achieving quality education. We can?t continue to operate with outdated wage structures while expecting world-class results,? he said.

Ajaero further faulted the government?s negotiation approach, noting that officials often attended meetings without clear mandates to make binding decisions.

?It is unacceptable for officials to attend talks without the authority to make binding commitments. This practice has contributed to the recurring crises in the sector,? he said.

He expressed NLC?s readiness to defend workers? rights, stressing that the era of signing and breaking agreements had ended.

?We will not fold our arms while our education system suffers. If the government fails to act, we will mobilise all unions to demand justice and fairness,? he assured. (NAN)

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