The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council has mandated an indefinite strike for workers across the six area councils, effective December 1, citing persistent non-implementation of the national minimum wage.
NLC FCT Council Chairman Knabanyi Adalo announced the strike directive in a statement issued on Saturday, explaining the decision stems from a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on November 8 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
“The state administrative council also noted with deep frustration the persistent delay and outright refusal by the area councils’ chairmen to pay some pending entitlements to the workers, including the outstanding arrears of primary school teachers,” Adalo said.
The labour leadership emphasized that the councils’ chairpersons have consistently failed to respond to demands for implementing the N70,000 national minimum wage, which the NLC considers a critical workers’ right.
During a State Administrative Council meeting on November 12, organized labour unanimously resolved to strictly adhere to the national directive for an indefinite strike, conditional upon government’s failure to implement the minimum wage by November’s end.
“Therefore, all workers in the six area councils in FCT are hereby directed without hesitation to proceed on an indefinite strike beginning from December 1, until further directives,” Adalo stated.
The NLC characterized the non-implementation of the new national minimum wage as “a gross violation of the law and a total disregard for the welfare and well-being of workers in the area councils.”
Workers have been instructed to commence the strike without hesitation, signaling a potential significant disruption to administrative services in the Federal Capital Territory’s area councils.
Credit: (NAN)
