The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has threatened to shut down the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) offices nationwide and also direct workers who are members of the union there to proceed on an indefinite strike, beginning from Monday, March 24.
The General Secretary of NASU, Peters Adeyemi stated this on Monday in Lagos at a press conference.
He declared that the union by this proposed action has issued a seven-day ultimatum within which WAEC management must address all issues in dispute with its workers nationwide, otherwise would go by the threat.
According to him, the major issues that NASU wants WAEC to address in order to avert the looming shutdown of its offices and workers strike is to stop victimising the leadership of NASU in the organisation, allow trade unionism, release the members’ check-off dues and also to abide by the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with the union on March 10, 2025.
He explained that trouble started since 2023 when the Federal Government directed the payment of N35,000 as palliatives for federal workers for six months across the board to cushion the effects of the economic hardship in the country and also the 2024 upward review of the national minimum wage.
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He said “While the federal and many state government workers enjoyed the N35,000 palliatives at that period, WAEC even as an international exam body paid its workers N25,000 only for three months instead and also implemented just 25 per cent minimum salary increment as against the earlier committee’s 30 per cent recommendation on the matter.
“So, when workers went on strike last December to demand the 30 per cent salary increment as earlier agreed, the management because of that made a U-turn and agreed to pay N27.5 per cent and since then has been suppressing unionism and also victimising the leadership of NASU in the organization for their roles.”
He mentioned that part of the punishments from WAEC management to workers is the stoppage of their check-off dues and engagement with the union leaders since January and the plan to transfer union leaders out of the headquarters office and so forth.
He said all these moves by WAEC management are against the labour law both in Nigeria and internationally and that NASU would not condone any breach.
“So, we want WAEC management to end with immediate effect, all forms of victimization and unlawful transfer of NASU leaders, and also to respect the rights of workers to freely join trade union and also involve in its activities,” he emphasized, adding that “WAEC non-compliance with these demands will result in a massive and sustained industrial action against the organisation.”
But when contacted for a reaction, the head of the public affairs department of WAEC Nigeria, Mrs. Moyosola Adesina, told Tribune Online that she doesn’t have WAEC official position yet concerning any of the issues raised by NASU and that she would get back at the appropriate time.
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