Official activities at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been grounded as the strike by the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) entered its second week yesterday.
The union had, last Monday, directed workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to down tool indefinitely over non-payment of five-month wage awards and 14 other demands from the FCTA.
Agencies shut included the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS), the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), the FCT Water Board, among others.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) joined the strike yesterday in solidarity with their counterparts at the FCTA and the FCDA.
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Schools shut
The strike halted academic activities at primary and secondary school teachers across the six area councils of the FCT yesterday.
When one of our reporters visited Abaji Pilot Science Primary School yesterday; while pupils were seen play football.
A teacher, Shuaibu Musa, said: "It was on Sunday night that the Abaji branch of the NUT forwarded a communiqué to the teachers' platform, directing all primary school teachers to join the ongoing JUAC strike in solidarity."
Mrs. Florence Adejobi, a parent, said: "I later found out that the teachers joined the JUAC staff over their unmet demands by the FCT administration. I quickly took my daughters back home. I pray the strike do not last too long."
At the Government Science Technical College in Abaji, only a few students were seen on the premises.
A few teachers were met under a tree, explaining that they were instructed to stay away from the classrooms in support of the JUAC action.
Similarly, at Unguwar Dodo LEA Primary School, academic activities were grounded.
A few pupils remained on the premises playing, but no teachers were present.
At Government Day Secondary School (GDSS) Gwagwalada, some students were in their classrooms, but no lessons were being taught. Students confirmed that their teachers did not turn up due to the strike.
At Bwari Area Council, several students were seen return home as early as 9 am yesterday.
Some of them told Daily Trust that their teachers turned them back.
Reacting to the development, the president of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) in the FCT, Alhaji Usman Abubakar, expressed concern over the schools' shutdown.
"My worry is that the strike should not linger. We do not want a repeat of what happened during the teachers' strike last year. I advise the FCT administration to seek dialogue and an out-of-court settlement with JUAC in the interest of industrial harmony," he stated.
Activities across the six area councils of the FCT were also paralysed following a directive by the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to the workers to join the strike.
Our reporters, who visited the area councils, saw visitors, including contractors, discuss the strike in groups.
Striking workers block Wike's office
There was a mild drama yesterday at the FCT Minister's Office at Area 11, Garki District of Abuja, as striking workers blocked the entry gate upon learning that the Minister, Nyesom Wike, was inside.
They had earlier gathered at the National Industrial Court for a case brought against the JUAC's president and the secretary by the FCT minister.
The suit seeks, among other things, to compel the striking workers to return to work.
The ruling on the case was, however, adjourned to January 27.
Shortly after the adjournment, the workers rushed to the minister's office and blocked the entrance.
It was learnt that the minister hurriedly departed through the exit gate at the Ministry of Agriculture section of the secretariat.
Court rules on strike today
A National Industrial Court in Abuja has slated today for a ruling on a suit filed by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) challenging the ongoing strike by workers in the territory.
After listening to the arguments of counsel on Monday, Justice Emmanuel Subilim scheduled the ruling regarding the continuation of the industrial action.
Following a motion filed by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, through his lawyer, James Onoja (SAN), challenging the legality of the strike, Justice Subilim had last week issued an interlocutory injunction halting the strike.
In the originating summons, the Minister is contending that the strike does not comply with the Trade Disputes Act, further arguing that the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC) is not a registered trade union.
However, on Monday, the workers--led by JUAC President Rifkatu Iortyer and Secretary Abdullahi Umar Saleh--argued through their lawyer that they have a fundamental right to embark on the strike.
'Why workers resorted to strike'
FCT JUAC President Rifkatu Iortyer, while declaring the strike, said the action followed what the union described as the administration's "breach of trust," "inaction," and the "deliberate demoralization" of its workforce through a litany of unresolved grievances.
In an address titled "A Plethora of Festering Issues," Comrade Iortyer presented an 11-point indictment of the FCTA management, accusing it of financial malfeasance, systemic failure, and acts of bad faith against employees. The union highlighted the non-remittance of pension and National Housing Fund (NHF) deductions as a "serious breach of trust and a threat to the future security of its members."
The union also demanded the immediate removal of retired directors and permanent secretaries, calling their tenure extensions a "clear contravention" of the Public Service Rules. "We are appalled by the illegal extension of tenure of retired officers," Iortyer stated.
Furthermore, the union rejected the recently approved promotions for about 2,000 FCT staff out of the more than 7,000 who sat for the 2024 promotion exercise. "We say no to the deliberate mass failure of the 2024 promotion exams, intended to avoid paying promotion arrears," Iortyer said, describing the process as a system "designed to fail and demoralize our members."
Other grievances include unpaid promotion arrears, poor working conditions, staff intimidation, lack of training, and the non-payment of Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) enforcement officers.
"We demand immediate action on these issues. We will not be silenced by inaction," she warned.
10 out of 14 workers' demands met - FCTA
Reacting to the ongoing strike earlier, the FCTA had said 10 out of the 14 demands made by the striking workers have been met, adding that the remaining issues are being addressed.
While the FCTA maintains that progress had been made, the union had dismissed these claims, asserting that none of their demands have been fulfilled.
The FCTA further noted that several unions, including the Law Officers Association of Nigeria, have dissociated themselves from the strike. The administration emphasized that these workers have the right to access their offices and perform their duties without interference.
Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, noted that the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD-FCTA) recently wrote to Wike and appreciated his "exemplary leadership and commitment to healthcare workers' welfare," citing the payment of 13 months of hazard allowance arrears and a one-month wage award.
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Olayinka stated that top FCTA officials had held several meetings with union leaders.
He said during a meeting with the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) on Friday, January 16, the Minister's interventions were laid bare.
Olayinka stressed that the minister never expressed unwillingness to address any of the demands.
Previous strikes under Wike
Daily Trust reports that last year, primary school teachers and the area council workers embarked on a three-month industrial action over the non-payment of arrears.
Although the workers are under the jurisdiction of the area councils, the strike forced pupils out of schools for more than an academic term.
Stakeholders have berated Wike for his inability to resolve the dispute between the teachers and the area councils, which led to the significant loss of an academic term for pupils in public schools.
Almost concurrently, health workers in the area councils also embarked on a strike lasting over three months, crippling access to healthcare in rural communities.
While resident doctors called off their strike only recently, other health workers remain on strike, jeopardizing the health and well-being of Abuja residents.
Also, a civil society group, the Peoples Alliance for Indigenous Rights (PAIR), in a statement yesterday by its coordinator, Adolor Asoro, urged President Bola Tinubu to sack Wike, alleging that governance was failing in the nation's capital.
