By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The NUT strike in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has taken a new twist, with the TUC directing its members to resume work while NULGE has ordered its members to join the ongoing indefinite strike by public school teachers.
The twist comes as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), FCT Council, dismissed the FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike’s description of the teachers’ strike as politically motivated, insisting that the action was triggered by unresolved labour and welfare issues.
The NLC had earlier directed public and private sector workers across the territory to embark on an indefinite strike in solidarity with teachers over their outstanding demands from the FCT Administration (FCTA).
However, the TUC FCT Council has distanced itself from the directive, arguing that it was neither consulted nor involved in the decision to declare the territory-wide industrial action.
In a statement signed by the TUC FCT Secretary, Comrade Sunday Baba Joseph, the council said the strike directive was issued without consultation with the TUC or its affiliated unions in the territory.
It consequently directed its affiliate unions and members to report to work as usual and disregard what it described as unauthorized enforcement committees.
The TUC also urged members facing intimidation or coercion to report such incidents to its secretariat, while calling for the dispute to be resolved through established industrial relations mechanisms in the interest of teachers, pupils, and workers.
In contrast, NULGE FCT Council has aligned itself with the NLC's position, directing its members across the six Area Councils, alongside non-teaching staff of Local Education Authorities (LEAs), to participate in the strike.
In a notice signed by its State Secretary, Ayendi Bridget Agede, NULGE directed members to stay away from work from Friday until further notice, urging unity in defending workers’ rights and dignity in line with the NLC’s call for labour solidarity.
Meanwhile, the NLC has maintained that the teachers' strike is rooted in unresolved promotion and welfare concerns, rather than political considerations.
The labour centre identified the disputed vacancy clause in teachers' promotions, the failure to conduct the 2025 promotion exercise and the alleged demotion of directors covered by the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022, as key issues requiring urgent attention.
It also faulted the minister's directive on the implementation of the No Work, No Pay policy and the reported instruction to principals and head teachers to open attendance registers to monitor teachers participating in the strike.
The NLC insisted that the industrial action followed the required procedures and warned that any withholding of salaries or victimisation of participating teachers would be challenged through appropriate channels.
It further directed affected teachers and other workers not to sign attendance registers opened during the strike, urging them to remain calm and report any threats, intimidation, or queries to its FCT Council Secretariat.
The council called on the FCTA to remove the disputed vacancy clause, conduct the outstanding 2025 promotion exercise and resolve the cases involving the affected directors.
The FCT Minister, on his part, has described the strike as unwarranted and politically motivated, maintaining that the FCTA has addressed the workers' demands.
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