Wike threatens ‘no-work, no-pay’ for FCT teachers joining NLC strike

 Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory
(FCT), has directed the council chairmen in the nation’s capital to enforce a
strict “no-work, no-pay” policy against workers that participate in the ongoing
indefinite strike by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).

 

Wike, made the remark on Friday after meeting with chairmen
of the six area councils in Abuja, describing the mass action as “political and
baseless”.

According to NAN, the minister said he has directed the
council leadership to clamp down on unapproved absences.

“We have directed the chairmen of the area councils to call
their teachers and state clearly: if anybody participates in this, we will
implement no-work, no-pay,” he said.

“Enough is enough; we cannot continue with this.”

The minister rejected the rationale behind the industrial
action, asserting that all legitimate demands raised by the teaching body,
including promotions and operational matters, had been substantially resolved
or were actively being implemented.

“We want to state categorically and let it be known to the
public: this so-called strike declaration is political, and we will not accept
it.

“There is no basis for anybody to call for a strike. We
don’t have any issue with the Local Education Authorities or primary schools.
Everything we have agreed on, we are implementing,” he said.

Wike noted that secondary school teachers and other key
union segments had distanced themselves from the strike action, recognising
that the demands were already being met.

Addressing the political underpinnings of the shutdown, the
minister directly challenged the political neutrality of the local NLC
leadership.

He alleged that the union chairperson was a former candidate
of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the last February FCT area council
elections.

“You can see his interest. He is trying to ensure the FCT is
in crisis as a political tool, telling voters that pupils are at home. We will
not accept that blackmail,” he said.

“If you want to involve yourself in politics, you are free
to do so, but excuse yourself from holding union leadership so you don’t
politicise it.”

BACK STORY

The NLC had, on Tuesday, directed all workers in the
nation’s capital, including those in the private sector, to begin an indefinite
strike the following day over unresolved labour disputes and policy grievances
affecting teachers.

The directive followed the expiration of a seven-day
ultimatum issued to Wike over unmet demands.

In a communique issued at the end of an emergency state
executive council meeting of the NLC on Wednesday, Knabayi Adalo, the union’s
chairman in the FCT, identified one of the demands as the abolition of the
vacancy precondition for teachers’ promotions, which he described as the
primary cause of career stagnation and demoralisation.

He said the union was also demanding the immediate
withdrawal of redeployment and demotion letters issued to directors in agencies
under the education secretariat who were beneficiaries of the Harmonised
Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022.

However, the FCT chapter of TUC and ASUSS rejected the
strike, directing teachers and education officers to report to work and
continue their normal duties.

In a statement on Friday by Sunday Joseph, its secretary,
the FCT TUC directed its members to disregard the NLC directive, saying it was
not consulted before the decision was announced.

Similarly, ASUSS described the strike as premature, warning
that the action could disrupt academic activities and negatively affect
students.

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