Labour Unions Push Back Against FCT Minister
According to reports by Vanguard News, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) FCT Wing have strongly dismissed FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s threat to enforce a no-work, no-pay policy against workers participating in an ongoing strike.
Mr. Knabayi Adalo, Chairman of the NLC FCT Council, and Mrs. Margaret Jethro, Secretary of the NUT FCT Wing, issued separate circulars on Sunday addressing members. The directives were described as “unconstitutional, illegal, provocative and unenforceable.” The minister’s policy follows an indefinite strike declared by the NLC on October 7 over unresolved issues between the FCT Administration and the NUT. Wike had directed area council chairmen, the FCT Head of Civil Service, principals, and headteachers to implement the salary withholding policy and open daily attendance registers to track absentees.
Legal Justification and Demands
Adalo urged affected workers to remain steadfast, noting that strike action is a legitimate tool protected under Nigerian law and international standards. Citing Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, the Trade Unions Act, and ILO Conventions 87, 98, and 151, the NLC chairman stated that all legal conditions had been met. He argued that Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Act applies exclusively to illegal strikes and maintained that employers cannot benefit from their own wrongdoings when they provoke industrial action.
The labour unions point to the FCT Administration’s imposition of a vacancy clause on teacher promotions and the demotion of directors benefiting from the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022, as the root causes of the dispute. Adalo further instructed members to refuse to sign attendance registers, warning that administrators who force teachers to do so would be held personally responsible and targeted for picketing.
NUT Calls for Continued Resolve
Echoing these sentiments, NUT FCT Secretary Margaret Jethro labeled the threat an empty one and urged teachers to stay home without fear. She acknowledged a perceived betrayal by the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) for withdrawing from the strike, but encouraged teachers to remain peaceful, law-abiding, and united in demanding their welfare.