The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned that it will mobilise workers nationwide to defend their contributions in the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) and pension funds against alleged government expropriation.

In a statement issued yesterday after its Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Abuja, the NLC condemned what it described as a “flagrant violation” of workers’ social protection rights. The union accused the Federal Government of diverting 40 per cent of workers’ contributions into the national coffers as “revenue,” a move it said contradicts the NSITF’s establishing statutes.

The CWC meeting also reviewed other pressing labour concerns, including the leadership crisis in the Edo State NLC, governance gaps at the National Pension Commission (PenCom), and the general state of the nation.

Issuing a seven-day ultimatum, the NLC demanded that the NSITF account for and refund all diverted funds. It further called for the immediate constitution of the PenCom board and the submission of a comprehensive status report on the funds. The congress warned that failure to act could jeopardise industrial peace in the sector.

Similarly, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has given the Federal Government 21 days to address its grievances or face an indefinite strike.

ASUP President, Shammah Kpanja, speaking yesterday in Abuja, accused the government of showing “non-committal disposition” towards genuine dialogue and failing to execute resolutions on long-standing issues. “Given the non-committal disposition of the FME in committing to genuine dialogue and lack of will to execute previous resolutions on some of the items, our union’s NEC has resolved to issue a 21-day ultimatum to the government to address the issues satisfactorily,” Kpanja stated.

The union also criticised the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) for failing to reconvene the FME/ASUP Rapid Response Committee meetings aimed at resolving industrial disputes in the sector.

ASUP’s demands include the release of a circular by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) for the Peculiar Academic Allowance, payment of arrears from the 25/35 per cent salary review, and enforcement of the review in states yet to comply.