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By Victor Osula, Abuja
The Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC), Federal Capital Territory Council, has declared an indefinite strike across the FCT, ordering workers to close schools, hospitals, government offices and other establishments over unresolved labor disputes with the FCT administration.
The industrial action began on Wednesday, following the expiry of a seven-day ultimatum issued to FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, over complaints regarding the administration of the education sector and the treatment of teachers and senior education officials.
NLC FCT Council Chairman Knabayi Adalo announced the decision in a statement issued after an emergency meeting of the State Executive Council (SEC).
Adalo said the strike was necessary because the FCT administration failed to provide satisfactory solutions to the union’s demands. He ordered all FCT administration workers, as well as affiliated industrial unions in the private sector, to withdraw their services until the outstanding issues were resolved.
“The Council will no longer tolerate the continued dehumanization of FCT teachers through hateful policies alien to the teaching profession,” Adalo said.
He ordered that all schools, hospitals, offices and government establishments in the FCT remain closed for the duration of the industrial action.
At the heart of the dispute is the NLC’s demand to abolish the vacancy that presupposes the promotion of teachers.
The union has described this policy as the root cause of career stagnation among FCT teachers, arguing that qualified teachers who have met the requirements for advancement may be stuck in the same grade due to the absence of vacancies.
Adalo said the labor council considers the policy unacceptable and is calling for its immediate removal.
The union also demanded that teachers who were eligible for the 2025 promotion exercise but could not take the exam should be allowed to take the exam along with the 2026 batch.
Another important demand is the immediate withdrawal of letters of redeployment and demotion issued to heads of agencies of the Education Secretariat benefiting from the Harmonized Retirement Age for Teachers Act of 2022.
The NLC also called for the dissolution and reinstatement of the leadership teams of the FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB) and the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB).
According to Adalo, the union expected the FCT administration to address the issue comprehensively after the ultimatum was issued.
Instead, he said, the administration’s response was “neither positive, nor clear, nor genuine” and therefore unacceptable to the Council.
The latest escalation follows a letter dated September 29 from FCTA civil service chief Nancy Nathan to the union.
Nathan informed the NLC that Wike had decided to suspend action over the concerns raised by the workers.
He also said the minister directed to de-escalate the matter and directed the FCT Civil Service Commission to reschedule the 2025 promotion exam for the affected education officials.
Nathan also expressed the minister’s commitment to addressing other outstanding issues raised by the union.
However, the NLC rejected the response, arguing that it did not sufficiently address the main issues responsible for the controversy.
Adalo said the administration completely ignored what the union described as the illegal redeployment of senior administrators. He also criticized the administration for failing to provide a meaningful solution to the controversial vacancy clause.
The Labor Council therefore concluded that further waiting without concrete action would amount to prolonging the grievances of the affected workers.
As part of the strike directive, Adalo ordered all FCT-affiliated industrial unions, including those in the private sector, to ensure total compliance among their members.
The council is also setting up special monitoring committees in various sectors to monitor compliance with industrial action.
The NLC president urged the workers to remain resolute and assured them that no individual would be victimized by participating in the strike.
Education administration controversy
The disagreement reflects a larger dispute over the administration of teachers’ careers within the FCT public education system.
The NLC argues that the vacancy requirement is inappropriate for teachers because it can prevent qualified staff from progressing despite meeting the prescribed conditions for promotion.
The union is also challenging the treatment of senior managers of education agencies who it says are covered by the Harmonized 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 law enforcement and the status of affected school officials has added another layer to the confrontation between organized labor and the FCT administration.
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