-Deborah Akinyosoye
The Federal Capital Territory Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress has directed workers in the six area councils of the FCT to embark on an indefinite strike on December 1, 2024, until further directives are issued.
This was contained in a letter obtained by our correspondent on Saturday and signed by the Chairman of the FCT Council of the NLC, Stephen Knabayi.
Recall that the NLC had directed workers in 14 states and the FCT to embark on an industrial action from Sunday, December 1, over the non-implementation of the N70,000 new minimum wage.
In his letter, Knabayi faulted the failure of the Area Council Chairmen to respond to the demand for the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage despite receiving a communique of the National Executive Council of the NLC, issued to the Council Chairmen on November 14, 2024.
He added that the non-implementation of the minimum wage was a “gross violation of the law”, and represented a total disregard for the welfare of workers in the Area Councils.
The FCT Council Chairman said the State Administrative Council resolved to comply with the national directive, noting also the delay in paying workers’ entitlements in the FCT, including the outstanding arrears of primary school teachers in the respective Area Councils.
The letter read, “On 14/11/2024, the Area Council Chairmen in the Federal Capital Territory were issued a communique of the National Executive Council meeting of the Nigeria Labour Congress held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Friday 8/11/2024”.
“Unfortunately, the Council Chairmen have blatantly refused to respond to the demand for implementation of the new national minimum wage to the workers in their respective area councils. Failure to implement the new national minimum wage is a gross violation of the law and a total disregard for the welfare and well-being of the workers in the Area Councils.
“In response to this inaction, the Organised Labour in its State Administrative Council (SEC) Meeting held 12/11/2024, unanimously resolved to adhere strictly to the national directive to embark on an indefinite strike action should any government fail to implement the N70,000.00 (Seventy Thousand Naira) national minimum wage on or before the last day November 2024.
“The SEC also noted with deep frustration the persistent delay and outright refusal by the Area Councils to pay some pending entitlements to the workers including the outstanding arrears of the primary school teachers in their respective Area Councils.
Therefore, all the workers in the Six-Area Councils in FCT are hereby issued a marching order without hesitation to proceed on an indefinite strike action beginning from the 1st day of December 2024 until further directives are issued.”