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The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has demanded equal allowance structure with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), insisting that workers across the university system face identical economic pressures and should not be treated differently in welfare allocation.
The union’s General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, made the demand on Sunday while speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the 114th session of the International Labour Conference International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland Geneva.
Adeyemi said the ongoing renegotiation with the federal government must reflect fairness across all categories of workers in the university system, arguing that non-academic staff play critical roles in institutional administration and operations just like their academic counterparts.
According to him, the recent approval of a 40 per cent increase in allowances for members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU has further strengthened NASU’s demand for parity.
“We are demanding that whatever is given to ASUU should also be given to us because we face the same economic realities,” he said.
He disclosed that NASU had earlier rejected an offer of a 30 per cent increase in allowances from the federal government, describing it as inadequate in comparison with what was granted to academic staff.
“Government offered us 30 percent and we said no. Though they are our senior colleagues, but we all go to the same market and buy the same fuel,” Adeyemi said.
He added that inflationary pressures and rising cost of living have made uniform treatment of workers unavoidable, noting that landlords and service providers do not discriminate between academic and non-academic employees.
“The cost of living affects all workers equally. We cannot accept a situation where one group receives significantly better allowances than another,” he said.
Adeyemi further explained that negotiations with the federal government were already at an advanced stage and nearing conclusion within the university sector, adding that the outcome would also influence talks in polytechnics and colleges of education where NASU has membership representation.
He, however, cautioned that delays in implementing previously reached agreements often trigger industrial disputes across tertiary institutions, urging government negotiators to demonstrate sincerity and commitment to collective bargaining outcomes.
“When agreements are freely entered into, they should be implemented. Failure to do so only creates avoidable crises in the education sector,” he warned.
The NASU leader expressed cautious optimism that ongoing discussions would produce agreements capable of improving welfare conditions for non-academic staff across federal tertiary institutions, while maintaining that the union remains committed to dialogue but will continue to press for equitable treatment.
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