FCT NLC orders indefinite strike over teachers’ promotion dispute

The Nigeria Labour Congress in the Federal Capital Territory has directed workers to begin an indefinite strike from Wednesday, October 7, over unresolved disputes about teachers’ promotions and career progression.

The council’s directive extends beyond teachers. Vanguard reported that the NLC asked its affiliate unions in the public and private sectors to comply, and ordered schools, hospitals, offices and government establishments under the FCT Administration to remain closed until its demands are met.

The closure order is the union’s directive; the reports do not establish how widely it has been implemented.

Council chairman Knabayi Adalo announced the decision in a communique after an emergency State Executive Council meeting. The union said the administration’s response to its seven-day ultimatum did not resolve the disputes.

A central demand is the removal of the rule making teachers’ promotions dependent on vacancies. The NLC argues that teachers recruited by the FCT Universal Basic Education Board and Secondary Education Board should not be treated like pool officers whose promotions depend on vacant posts.

Vanguard also reported demands for the withdrawal of redeployment and demotion letters issued to senior education directors covered by the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022, and for eligible 2025 teachers to take promotion examinations alongside the 2026 batch.

The administration had responded in a September 29 letter from Head of the Civil Service Nancy Nathan. According to Vanguard, she said FCT Minister Nyesom Wike had directed a stay of action on the concerns raised and instructed the Civil Service Commission to reschedule the 2025 promotion examination for affected education officers.

Adalo said that response did not address the directors’ redeployment or offer a meaningful solution to the vacancy rule. The council said it was setting up sectoral committees to monitor compliance with the strike.

Sources: Vanguard, Daily Post