By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Federal Capital Territory Council, has declared an indefinite strike across the FCT, directing workers in both the public and private sectors to withdraw their services over unresolved grievances concerning the promotion of teachers.
The industrial action commenced on Wednesday, October 7, following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on September 8.
The decision followed a meeting of the NLC FCT State Executive Council, which reviewed the FCTA’s response to the union’s demands and rejected it as “ambiguous, dismissive and totally unacceptable.”
At the centre of the dispute is the FCTA’s requirement for available vacancies before teachers can be promoted, a policy the NLC says has resulted in prolonged career stagnation and demoralisation among educators.
NLC FCT Chairman, Comrade Knabayi S. Adalo, said teachers should not be subjected to promotion rules designed for another category of civil servants.
“Teachers are not core civil servants nor pool staff and cannot be subjected to vacancy-based promotion meant for pool officers,” Adalo said.
He added, “The FCTA’s attempt to sustain industrial harmony without addressing injustice is mere wishful thinking.”
“There can be no peace without justice,” he said.
The NLC is demanding the immediate removal of the vacancy requirement for teachers’ promotion and the reconsideration of teachers who were eligible for promotion in 2025, allowing them to sit for the promotion examination alongside the 2026 candidates.
The union is also demanding the withdrawal of redeployment and demotion letters issued to directors who are beneficiaries of the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022.
It further called for the dissolution and reinstatement of the management teams of the FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB) and the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB).
As part of the strike directive, the NLC ordered schools, hospitals, offices and other government establishments across the FCT to remain shut until its demands are addressed.
Affiliate unions were also directed to mobilise their members and establish enforcement committees to monitor compliance with the strike.
The NLC warned against victimisation of workers participating in the industrial action and urged FCT workers to remain united and law-abiding throughout the strike.
The action is expected to disrupt public services across the nation’s capital as the labour union and the FCTA face renewed pressure to resolve the dispute.