In 2022, university based unions in Nigeria, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), embarked on an unprecedented strike that lasted for eight months, causing widespread disruption in the academic calendar. During this period of industrial action, the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari invoked a No Work, No Pay policy, leading to the withholding of salaries for the striking university workers.
The No Work, No Pay policy, a long standing principle in Nigerian labor law, essentially stipulates that workers who go on strike are not entitled to their wages for the duration of the action. This policy was enforced by the Buhari administration in response to the prolonged strike, which had crippled universities across the country. The unions had been protesting over various issues, including inadequate funding for universities, poor working conditions, and the non implementation of previous agreements with the government.
The withholding of salaries for the striking workers became a contentious issue, sparking heated debates across the nation. Many of the union members and their supporters argued that the strike was necessary to address the systemic challenges facing Nigerian universities, while the government defended the policy as a means to ensure accountability and discourage unnecessary industrial actions.
The policy of withholding salaries was intended to pressure the unions to return to work, with the government emphasizing that the action was not only about financial recompense but also about ensuring that academic institutions did not suffer further setbacks. However, critics of the policy pointed out that it unfairly punished workers who were fighting for a better education system in the country, while students continued to bear the brunt of the extended closures.
In the end, the strike was called off after a series of negotiations between the government and the unions, but the effects of the eight-month disruption continue to be felt in the academic sector. While some students were able to return to their studies, the lost academic time and the lingering bitterness over the salary dispute left a deep impact on the relationship between the unions and the government.
Looking back, the No Work, No Pay policy remains a reminder of the complexities of labor relations in Nigeria’s public sector, especially in the education system. It highlights the delicate balance between enforcing accountability in labor practices and addressing the genuine concerns of workers who are essential to the country’s academic and economic development.