NASU threatens shutdown of WAEC offices over unresolved labour issues

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has threatened to shut down West African Examination Council (WAEC) offices in Nigeria, accusing the examination body of anti-labour practices and victimisation of workers.

The union also threatened to institute legal action against WAEC, as well as report the management to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) if the body failed to implement memorandum of understanding it between them, as well as meet the union’s demands, which include the full payments of all agreed allowances to workers, stop ‘unlawful’ transfer of workers out of WAEC headquarters in Yaba, resumption of deduction and full remittance of NASU dues.

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Peters Adeyemi, general secretary of WAEC, who addressed a news conference in Lagos on Monday, urged WAEC to respect labour laws and ILO conventions that protect trade union rights.

He said: “In 2023, the Federal Government paid federal workers N35,000 across the board for six months as palliative in view of the harsh economic situation in the country. WAEC set up a committee made up of management representatives and union representatives to recommend what WAEC should do.

The committee recommended that WAEC should pay N30,000.00 monthly across the board for six months. Unfortunately, the Head of the National Office (HNO), who is the CEO of WAEC in Nigeria, unilaterally went ahead to pay N25,000 across the board for three months.

The union vowed that unless all outstanding payments due to the workers were paid, it would “direct all members of NASU in WAEC headquarters, Yaba and all WAEC offices nationwide to commence a comprehensive and total strike with effect from Monday, March 24, 2025.”