The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has called on the Federal Government to respect existing agreements with university-based unions and desist from threatening workers with the “No Work, No Pay” policy.

In a statement titled “Recurring Threats by Government Officials to Enforce the ‘No Work, No Pay’ Policy: A Call for Justice, Collective Bargaining, and Dignity of Labour,” NASU’s General Secretary, Prince Peters Adeyemi, said government officials have been using Section 42(1)(a) of the Trade Disputes Act as a tool of intimidation rather than a means of ensuring industrial harmony.

Adeyemi stressed that strikes are not acts of rebellion but a lawful last resort when the government fails to honour agreements.

“Union leaders are not anarchists or agitators for chaos. Strikes are often an inevitable response to government’s failure to uphold the sanctity of labour laws,” he said.

While acknowledging that the law bars payment of wages during strikes, Adeyemi said the same Act outlines mediation and arbitration procedures, which government frequently ignores.

He accused the government of double standards, enforcing “No Work, No Pay” while neglecting “No Pay, No Work.”

“The selective enforcement of these provisions is hypocritical, unjust, and contrary to the principles of equity upon which industrial relations are built,” he said.

Adeyemi also cited International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions 87 and 98—both ratified by Nigeria—which recognise the right to strike. He said punishing unions for lawful action violates international standards.

He urged the Federal Government to institutionalise collective bargaining and uphold agreements reached with workers, saying lasting peace in the public sector can only be achieved through dialogue, trust, and respect for labour laws.