The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, has rejected Minister Nyesom Wike’s directive to enforce the no-work, no-pay policy against workers participating in the ongoing strike by teachers in the territory.
The labour union described the directive as unlawful and provocative, insisting that the FCT Administration should address the outstanding grievances that led to the industrial action rather than threaten workers with salary deductions or disciplinary measures.
The NLC FCT Council Chairman, Knabayi Adalo, and the Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), FCT Wing, Margaret Jethro, communicated their positions in separate circulars issued to members on Sunday.
Both union officials urged teachers to remain united and resist what they described as intimidation by the administration, maintaining that the strike was intended to secure improved welfare and better working conditions.
The dispute follows an indefinite strike declared by the NLC on October 7 over unresolved disagreements between the FCT Administration and teachers. The issues include promotion arrangements, teachers’ welfare and the treatment of senior education officers.
Wike had directed area council chairmen to apply the no-work, no-pay policy to workers who failed to report for duty.
NLC Cites Workers’ Right to Strike
In his circular, Adalo urged workers to remain committed to the industrial action, arguing that Nigerian law protects the right to strike when the necessary legal requirements are fulfilled.
He cited Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, the Trade Unions Act and International Labour Organisation Conventions 87, 98 and 151, which he said supported workers’ right to engage in lawful industrial action.
“The NLC FCT has fulfilled all legal conditions,” Adalo stated.
He also questioned the proposed application of the no-work, no-pay policy, referencing Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Act. According to him, the provision should not be used to punish workers involved in a lawful strike over unresolved disputes with their employers.
Adalo blamed the FCT Administration’s handling of teachers’ grievances for contributing to the crisis and called for renewed engagement between the authorities and labour representatives.
Unions Demand Resolution of Promotion Disputes
The NLC chairman identified a vacancy clause affecting teachers’ promotions as one of the major issues behind the strike.
He called for the removal of the clause, the conduct of the 2025 promotion exercise and the reinstatement of directors allegedly demoted despite being eligible to benefit from the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022.
“Another issue is the demotion of directors who are legitimate beneficiaries of the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022,” he said.
Adalo also referred to previous decisions of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, which he said supported workers’ claims to salaries in certain circumstances involving legitimate industrial action.
He maintained that the administration should resolve the issues raised by teachers instead of using the strike as grounds for punitive action.
NLC Warns Against Attendance Monitoring
The dispute has also extended to the use of attendance registers in public schools.
Adalo alleged that some school administrators were pressuring teachers to sign attendance registers despite the ongoing strike. He advised union members not to sign the records, arguing that they could be used to justify disciplinary action against participating workers.
“Participation in a union-declared strike is lawful industrial action, not absenteeism,” he said.
He instructed workers facing queries, threats or harassment to report to the NLC FCT Council Secretariat with supporting evidence.
The labour leader also warned that principals and headteachers who allegedly compelled teachers to sign attendance registers or submitted their names for punitive measures could face union action, including picketing.
The NLC maintained that the strike would continue until the administration addressed the outstanding demands. It also assured members that it would support workers who faced threats or victimisation over their participation.
NUT Urges Teachers to Remain United
In her separate message, Jethro dismissed the minister’s directive as an attempt to intimidate teachers and urged members not to abandon the strike out of fear of losing their salaries.
“We must remain resolute. Do not chicken out; we must fight this battle together and now,” she said.
She urged teachers not to panic or sign attendance registers, insisting that their demands concerned welfare and working conditions rather than political interests.
“Our demands are genuine and not political, as is being insinuated. We are asking for our welfare, not for power,” she said.
Jethro thanked teachers who had complied with the strike, describing their participation as important to the effort to secure better working conditions and protect their professional interests.
However, she criticised the decision of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) to withdraw from the industrial action, accusing the organisation of abandoning teachers during the dispute.
The NUT secretary urged teachers to remain peaceful and law-abiding while staying away from their schools, stressing that unity among members would be essential to achieving their demands.
The NLC and NUT have maintained that the industrial action will continue until the FCT authorities address the outstanding issues.
