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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), FCT Council, has directed workers across the Federal Capital Territory to commence an indefinite strike from Wednesday, shutting schools, hospitals, government offices and other public establishments.
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The labour action follows the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over unresolved grievances, particularly the controversial vacancy requirement for teachers’ promotion, which the NLC says has caused career stagnation and demoralisation.
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Although the FCT Administration said Wike had ordered a stay of action and directed the rescheduling of the 2025 promotion examination for affected education officers, the NLC said the response failed to address the redeployment and demotion of senior directors and the vacancy condition.
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The NLC has directed affiliate unions in both the public and private sectors to ensure full compliance, while special enforcement committees are being established across sectors to monitor the strike.
October 7, (THEWILL) – The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Federal Capital Territory Council, has declared an indefinite strike across the FCT, directing workers to shut schools, hospitals, government offices and other establishments over unresolved labour disputes with the FCT Administration.
The industrial action commenced on Wednesday, following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, over grievances surrounding the administration of the education sector and the treatment of teachers and senior education officers.
NLC FCT Council Chairman, Knabayi Adalo, announced the decision in a communique issued after an emergency State Executive Council (SEC) meeting.
Adalo said the strike became necessary because the FCT Administration had failed to provide satisfactory solutions to the union’s demands. He directed all workers under the FCT Administration, as well as affiliate industrial unions in the private sector, to withdraw their services until the outstanding issues were resolved.
“The council will no longer tolerate the continued dehumanisation of FCT teachers through obnoxious policies alien to the teaching profession”, Adalo said.
He directed that all schools, hospitals, offices and government establishments across the FCT remain closed for the duration of the industrial action.
Teachers’ Promotion Crisis
At the centre of the dispute is the NLC’s demand for the abolition of the vacancy precondition for teachers’ promotion.
The union described the policy as the primary cause of career stagnation among FCT teachers, arguing that qualified teachers who have met the requirements for advancement could remain stuck on the same grade because of the absence of vacant positions.
Adalo said the labour council considered the policy unacceptable and demanded its immediate removal.
The union also demanded that teachers who were eligible for the 2025 promotion exercise but were unable to sit for the examination should be allowed to take the examination alongside the 2026 batch.
Another major demand is the immediate withdrawal of redeployment and demotion letters issued to directors in agencies under the Education Secretariat who are beneficiaries of the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022.
The NLC also demanded the dissolution and reinstatement of the management teams at the FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB) and the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB).
According to Adalo, the union had expected the FCT Administration to address the issues comprehensively after the ultimatum was issued.
Instead, he said, the administration’s response was “neither positive nor clear nor genuine” and was, therefore, unacceptable to the council.
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FCTA’s Response Rejected
The latest escalation followed a letter dated September 29 from the Head of the Civil Service, FCTA, Nancy Nathan, to the labour union.
Nathan informed the NLC that Wike had directed a stay of action on the concerns raised by the workers.
She also said the minister had directed that the issues be stepped down and ordered the FCT Civil Service Commission to reschedule the 2025 promotion examination for the affected education officers.
Nathan further conveyed the minister’s commitment to addressing the other outstanding matters raised by the union.
However, the NLC rejected the response, arguing that it did not sufficiently address the core issues responsible for the dispute.
Adalo said the administration had completely ignored what the union described as the illegal redeployment of senior directors. He also faulted the administration for failing to provide a meaningful solution to the controversial vacancy clause.
The labour council consequently concluded that further waiting without concrete action would amount to prolonging the grievances of affected workers.
NLC Mobilises Workers
As part of the strike directive, Adalo ordered all affiliate industrial unions in the FCT, including those in the private sector, to ensure total compliance among their members.
The council is also establishing special enforcement committees across various sectors to monitor compliance with the industrial action.
The NLC chairman urged workers to remain resolute and assured them that no individual would be victimised for participating in the strike.
Dispute Over Education Administration
The disagreement reflects a broader dispute over the administration of teachers’ careers within the FCT public education system.
The NLC maintains that the vacancy requirement is inappropriate for teachers because it can prevent qualified personnel from progressing despite meeting the prescribed conditions for promotion.
The union is also challenging the treatment of senior directors in education agencies who it says are covered by the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022.
The law provides for a retirement age of 65 years or 40 years of pensionable service for teachers, whichever comes first.
The dispute over the application of the law and the status of affected education officers has added another layer to the confrontation between organised labour and the FCT Administration.
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