By Victor Ahiuma-Young

As Nigerian workers grapple with job insecurity, unfair remuneration and the growing threat of workplace exploitation, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, has sounded a strong warning to employers and government, insisting that the era of casualisation, union intimidation and the denial of workers’ fundamental rights must give way to decent work, fair treatment and industrial justice. 

The Union, through its National President, Dr Makolo Hassan, has reaffirmed NASU determination to defend workers against employment practices that undermine their dignity, deprive them of legitimate entitlements and weaken their collective bargaining power. 

Declaring that decent work is a fundamental right rather than a privilege, NASU is demanding secure employment, fair wages, equal pay for work of equal value and an end to victimisation of union members, stressing that lasting industrial peace can only thrive where workers’ rights are respected and employers engage organised labour in genuine dialogue.

Addressing guests including government officials, institutional chiefs executives, local and foreign unionists, past and present leaders of NASU and other stakeholders at  the National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Abuja, Dr Hassan declared that decent work must be recognised as a fundamental right rather than a privilege granted at the discretion of employers.

“Decent work is a fundamental workers’ right, not a privilege to be granted at the discretion of employers,” he said, warning that the principles of decent work could not be upheld where workers were denied their salaries, promotions, wage awards, pensions, gratuities and other legitimate entitlements.

Threat to decent work

At the heart of NASU’s position is its rejection of the increasing casualisation of labour and the abuse of contract employment arrangements designed to deprive workers of the benefits and protections associated with secure employment. 

For NASU, the issue goes beyond the nature of an employment contract. It concerns the dignity of workers, the fairness of workplace relations and the responsibility of employers to ensure that those who contribute to institutional productivity receive appropriate protection and recognition.

According to Dr Hassan, “decent work is a fundamental workers’ right not a privilege to be granted at the discretion of employers. We cannot claim to uphold the principles of decent work while workers are denied their hard-earned salaries, promotions, wage awards, pensions, gratuities and other legitimate entitlements.

“We unequivocally reject the increasing casualisation of labour and the exploitation of contract employment arrangements designed to deprive workers of job security, fair remuneration, dignity and their rightful benefits. Such practices are unjust, unacceptable and contrary to the principles of social justice and decent work.

“We shall remain resolute and unrelenting in our demand for equal pay for work of equal value, the regularisation of eligible casual and contract workers, the protection of workers’ rights and the immediate payment of all outstanding entitlements. We will not relent until decent work, fair treatment and economic justice become a reality for every worker.

Union Rights

“We reaffirm, without ambiguity, that collective bargaining, freedom of association and the right to organise are fundamental trade union rights.

Employers must negotiate with workers and their unions in good faith; they must not impose conditions unilaterally, intimidate workers, victimise union members or engage in activities that are aimed at trying to stop or weaken workers’ efforts to Organise collectively.

 “Sustainable industrial peace can only be built on justice, dialogue and mutual respect. Government, labour and employers must strengthen genuine tripartite consultation before major economic decisions that affect workers are taken, while dispute-resolution mechanisms must be made more effective and responsive.

 “Our message from this meeting must therefore be clear: Nigerian workers deserve fair wages, secure jobs, safe workplaces, respect for trade union rights and a dignified standard of living. These are not favours to be granted; they are rights to be defended. 

Fair wages, job security 

NASU’s warning over exploitation is closely linked to its demand for fair wages and improved living standards.

It argued that workers cannot enjoy decent employment when their earnings are insufficient to meet basic needs or when their wages and other entitlements are withheld or eroded by rising living costs.

Hassan described the prevailing N70,000 national minimum wage as grossly inadequate in the face of increases in the prices of food, transportation, housing, electricity, healthcare and other essential commodities.

“While the N70,000 National Minimum Wage was a hard-won victory, the prevailing economic realities in Nigeria have rendered it grossly inadequate,” he said.

He further described the wage as having “effectively become a slave wage that can no longer sustain Nigerian workers and their families.

We maintain that Nigerian workers deserve not merely a Minimum Wage, but a living wage that guarantees decent living conditions and preserves their purchasing power.”

For the union, fair remuneration is inseparable from job security and the right to decent work. Workers who lack adequate earnings or face uncertainty over continued employment may struggle to meet household obligations, plan for retirement or maintain a reasonable standard of living.

For NASU, workers’ rights extend beyond the period of active employment. 

It maintained that employees who have devoted years of service to their institutions and the country deserve to retire with dignity rather than face prolonged delays in receiving their benefits.

The union’s position reinforces the principle that employment protections must cover the entire working life, from recruitment and career progression to retirement and the payment of post-employment benefits.

Decent work as a national development priority

NASU argued that the struggle for decent work must be understood within the wider challenges confronting Nigeria’s economy, including youth unemployment, underemployment, factory closures and the expansion of insecure livelihoods.

The union called for a national employment strategy that prioritises technical and vocational education, apprenticeships, industrial skills development and the creation of formal, decent and unionised jobs.

It further advocated stronger social protection for informal-sector workers, including traders, artisans, transport workers, domestic workers and the self-employed, many of whom lack effective representation, social insurance and pension coverage.

“Our message from this meeting must therefore be clear: Nigerian workers deserve fair wages, secure jobs, safe workplaces, respect for trade union rights and a dignified standard of living. These are not favours to be granted; they are rights to be defended,” Hassan declared.