The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a four-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to conclude ongoing negotiations with unions across the nation’s tertiary institutions.

The labour body also criticised the government’s no-work-no-pay policy imposed on members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as punishment for embarking on a nationwide strike.

NLC President, Joe Ajaero, made this known during an interactive session with labour correspondents on Monday in Abuja.

The session came after a meeting between the NLC and leaders of tertiary institutions-based unions at the Congress headquarters.

“We have decided to give the federal government four weeks to conclude all negotiations in this sector. They have started talks with ASUU but the problem in this sector goes beyond ASUU.

“That is why we are extending this to four weeks. If after four weeks this negotiation is not concluded, the organs of the NEC will meet and take a nationwide action that all workers in the country, all unions in the country will be involved so that we get to the root of all this.

“The era of signing agreements, negotiations and threatening the unions involved, that era has come to an end. “The policy, the so-called policy of no work, no pay, will henceforth be no pay, no work. You can’t benefit from an action you instigated. We have discovered that most, 90% of strike actions in this country are caused by failure to obey agreements,” Ajaero said.