The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, has declared an indefinite strike across the territory over the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s (FCTA) handling of teachers’ promotion and other labour-related demands.
The industrial action commenced on Wednesday, October 7, following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the FCTA to address the union’s grievances.
The council directed workers in both the public and private sectors to shut down schools, hospitals, government offices and other establishments across the FCT.
At the centre of the dispute is the FCTA’s requirement that vacancies must exist before teachers can be promoted, a policy the NLC says has hindered career progression and left many teachers stagnating in their positions for years.
In resolutions signed by its chairman, Comrade Knabayi Adalo, the labour council argued that teachers employed by the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) and the FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB) should not be subjected to a vacancy-based promotion system.
According to the union, teachers are recruited specifically to teach and should be promoted when due, irrespective of whether vacancies exist.
The council also demanded that teachers who became eligible for promotion in 2025 be allowed to take their promotion examinations before or alongside candidates eligible in 2026.
Other demands include the withdrawal of redeployment and demotion letters issued to directors who benefited from the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022.
The NLC further called for the immediate reinstatement of the dissolved management teams of the FCT UBEB and SEB.
The decision to embark on the strike was reached at the council’s State Executive Council meeting held on Tuesday, October 6, at the NLC FCT Secretariat.
At the meeting, the union rejected the FCTA’s response to its ultimatum, describing it as inadequate and lacking a genuine commitment to resolving the dispute.
The council maintained that the administration’s response failed to address the vacancy requirement, which it identified as the primary cause of teachers’ career stagnation.
It also faulted the FCTA for failing to adequately address the alleged illegal redeployment of directors.
“The response of the FCTA is ambiguous and totally unacceptable,” the council stated.
The labour body warned that it would no longer tolerate policies it considers detrimental to the welfare and professional advancement of teachers in the territory.
The strike is expected to disrupt activities in affected public institutions across the FCT until the union’s demands are addressed.
