WAEC Drags NASU to Court Over Planned Strike

The management of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has successfully obtained an order from the National Industrial Court preventing the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) from proceeding with its planned indefinite strike over unresolved staff welfare concerns.

The legal action followed the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued by NASU-WAEC Nigeria Branch on July 7, after the union threatened an indefinite industrial action if its demands were not addressed.

NASU had accused the examination body’s management of failing to resolve several concerns bordering on staff welfare, salary adjustments, working conditions, union activities and other labour-related issues.

The union’s Chairman, Comrade Kayode Ogunyade, confirmed that WAEC obtained an ex parte order from the Industrial Court restraining the planned strike.

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According to him, the union had planned to begin an indefinite strike after the ultimatum elapsed but decided to respect the court order.

“We were supposed to start another strike action, an indefinite strike action. We gave them a 14-day ultimatum on July 7, which elapsed, but because they knew they were not going to budge on our demands, they quickly ran to the Industrial Court and got an ex parte order to stop us from going on strike,” Ogunyade said.

He added that NASU remained committed to following due legal process while awaiting further directives from its national leadership.

The union traced the disagreement to the aftermath of a nationwide strike over minimum wage issues in December 2024.

NASU claimed it demanded a 30 per cent salary increase for workers but alleged that WAEC management secured approval for a 25 per cent increase, leading to further disagreements before an additional two per cent adjustment was later granted.

The union also alleged that workers faced unfavourable treatment after previous industrial actions, including changes affecting union operations and disciplinary procedures.

However, the dispute has attracted wider attention after the Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) suggested that the crisis may have deeper issues beyond labour concerns.

The NYCN alleged that sectional sentiments contributed to the prolonged disagreement between WAEC management and NASU-WAEC.

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The council, through its National President, Isah Abubakar, said its position was based on a petition it received and its review of developments surrounding the dispute.

The group claimed there were concerns about recruitment patterns and representation within WAEC, calling for transparency in appointments, promotions and deployments. 

It alleged that recruitment figures between 2020 and 2024 showed disparities among geopolitical zones, raising questions about compliance with the Federal Character Principle. 

Reacting to the claims, NASU-WAEC dismissed suggestions that the disagreement was linked to ethnic or regional issues, insisting that the dispute was strictly about workers’ welfare and fair labour practices.

Ogunyade described attempts to attach ethnic meaning to the dispute as misleading, stressing that the union’s demands were focused on protecting employees’ interests.

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Another union official, Fashina, said:

“The narrative of it being Northerners versus Southerners is false because if you have done well, the issue would not even arise. The essence of the union is to check the management.”

A WAEC official declined to comment on the matter, citing the ongoing court proceedings.

As the legal process continues, NASU members remain at work while awaiting further instructions from the union’s leadership.

For thousands of candidates and education stakeholders who rely on WAEC’s examinations, the outcome of the dispute will be closely watched as the council continues its academic operations.