By Victor Ahiuma—Young
The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, has suspended its planned nationwide strike at a West African Examinations Council, WAEC, offices across the country
following the withdrawal of a controversial internal circular by the the examination body.
There had been tension between parties as a result of the Internal Memo On 16th January, 2025, by WAEC Management ordering the stoppage of NASU check-off dues.
NASU also accused the management of plans to transfer NASU branch leaders in the Yaba, headquarters of WAEC in Nigeria across the country.
NASU had planned to commence an indefinite strike from today demanding that the management of WAEC Immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the 14thMarch, 2025 memo, full implementation of the 10th March, 2025 MoU, including automatic deduction and remittance of NASU dues, End to all forms of victimization and unlawful transfers of NASU leaders and that WAEC must respect labour laws and ILO conventions that protect trade union rights.
Confirming the suspension of the planned strike, NASU General Secretary, Prince Peters Adeyemi, told Vanguard that “Since the management withdrew the controversial circular, we think it makes sense to put the strike on hold waiting for their next step.”
NASU had been preparing for industrial action after WAEC’s management issued a memo on March 14, 2025, which blocked the automatic deduction and remittance of check-off dues for the union. The circular, which NASU described as a retaliatory measure for previous strikes, was seen as a violation of both a recent agreement and Nigerian labour laws.
This decision followed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on March 10, 2025, brokered by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, which mandated WAEC to resume the automatic deduction and remittance of dues without requiring additional consent. However, WAEC’s failure to comply, as outlined in their internal memorandum, triggered a renewed sense of frustration among NASU members.
At the heart of the dispute was the government’s 2023 economic palliative, which saw WAEC workers given only N25,000 per month for three months, instead of the recommended N30,000.
Tensions rose further after WAEC ignored the conclusions of a salary review committee, offering a smaller salary increment than what had been agreed upon, prompting a four-day strike in December 2024.
In addition to these salary-related issues, NASU raised concerns about the planned transfer of union leaders, which they claimed was an act of victimization.
WAEC’s management, according to NASU, had also ignored previous official communications requesting the reversal of the memo.
The union’s leadership responded by declaring a trade dispute on February 17, 2025, and engaged in multiple rounds of correspondence with WAEC and the Ministry of Labour. This led to a reconciliation meeting on March 10, which resulted in the MoU that was supposed to ensure the automatic payment of check-off dues and protect the rights of union members.
However, the March 14 memo from WAEC, which imposed additional requirements for the deductions, led NASU to threaten further action. In response, NASU gave WAEC a seven-day ultimatum to reverse the circular, warning that failure to do so would lead to a nationwide strike by March 24, 2025.
Following the withdrawal of the memo and the commitment to adhere to the terms of the MoU, NASU decided to suspend the strike. NASU officials expressed cautious optimism, noting that while the withdrawal of the memo was a positive step, they would continue to monitor WAEC’s compliance with the full terms of the MoU.
NASU’s leadership emphasized that the union would remain vigilant in ensuring that workers’ rights are upheld and that WAEC respects the agreed-upon terms. “While we are hopeful that the withdrawal of the circular signifies a step toward industrial harmony, we will not hesitate to take further action if WAEC fails to live up to its obligations,” said the General Secretary of NASU.
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