Minister begs varsity workers to focus on students welfare

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has urged labor unions, especially unions in the educational sector, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Senior Staff Union of Nigerian Universities and others, to work towards the welfare and well-being of Nigerian students instead of strikes. Education should be given priority.

Alausa spoke at the opening of the 359th Quadrennial National Delegate Conference of SSANU held in Abuja on Wednesday.

The minister said industrial action should not be the first line of defense to bring government attention to the union's demands.

He acknowledged the frustration experienced by unions in the past over unfulfilled government agreements, but assured them that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is committed to fulfilling promises and agreements.

He highlighted the President's dedication to taking tough, long-term decisions for the good of the nation.

“Honestly, I know you as a union, ASUU, NASU, everybody collectively, your psyche has been affected, because the government has gone into agreement with you, and most of the time, the government has fulfilled its part of the agreement. Have not completed.

“But I promise you this, President Bola Tinubu is a democrat, he will work to fulfill his obligation and agreement with you.

“When the President was campaigning across the country, he told Nigerians, 'I will be honest with you, I will make difficult decisions.'

“And I wish today that these difficult decisions had been taken 10, 20, 30 years ago. If those decisions had been taken, we would not be here today. But now, this President has come and he is meeting, and he will continue to fulfill his obligations, his promises to Nigerians,” he said.

Alausa, who was recently reassigned to the ministry, provided insight into the financial challenges that limited the government's ability to meet the union's demands.

He pointed to the previous administration's high spending on subsidies and artificially low exchange rates, saying such practices drained the country's resources, benefiting primarily the wealthiest individuals.

“The subsidies cost Nigeria about $1 billion a day, while artificially supporting the exchange rate costs an additional $500m monthly. These policies were not sustainable and took away resources from vital sectors like education,” he said.

The minister urged the unions to give the government the benefit of the doubt and engage in collective bargaining with mutual respect.

“We have assembled a committee led by respected Nigerians, including former Head of Service, Alhaji Yahaya Ahmed, to negotiate with the unions.

“This administration is committed to listening and collaborating. Let us prioritize the future of our children and work together to keep them in school,” he said.

Also speaking, Ayuba Wabba, former President of the Nigeria Labor Congress, expressed the labor unions' frustration over repeated violations of agreements.

“Failure to honor collective bargaining agreements has been a major source of strikes in Nigeria,” he said.

Wabba cited the significant economic losses incurred during the 2012 petroleum subsidy strike, citing the financial and social costs of the strike.

Wabba also called for reforms to improve the collective bargaining system, stressing the need for trust and transparency from both the government and unions.

He proposed setting up a formal structure similar to the Labor Council of South Africa, where quarterly meetings between union representatives and government officials would foster ongoing dialogue and proactively address issues.

On his part, SSANU National President, Mohammed Ibrahim, called for a change in the narrative around strikes and industrial relations, saying unions are often perceived as “strike-happy”.

Ibrahim said the conference's theme, “Respecting Collective Bargaining Agreements and Industrial Peace in Democracy” reflected SSANU's commitment to industrial peace.

“The experience of the last year has been particularly bad and brutal for Nigerian workers, especially members of SSANU.

“The biggest challenge facing the Nigerian education system and tertiary education in particular is the spate of industrial actions arising out of violations of agreements between unions and their employers.

“Since the advent of civilian or if you prefer, democratic government in 1999, we have seen an increase in allegations of failure of collective bargaining at both the federal and state government levels.

“As a result, industrial tensions, protests and strikes have become commonplace in our tertiary institutions.

“Unfortunately, this trend has led to a situation where unions and their leaders are being perceived as too militant or strike happy.

“Therefore, it becomes imperative that we dialogue on this trend so that the narrative can be changed and a paradigm shift can be brought about for the benefit of not only the association, but also governments, stakeholders, students and the entire country.” ” he said.