The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has decided to give the government a wake-up call. The FCT Council of the NLC has announced that workers in the six area councils of the FCT will be on strike starting December 1, 2024, and they’re not backing down until something is done, or at least until further notice. This move, according to a letter signed by Stephen Knabayi, Chairman of the FCT Council, is a direct response to the government’s blatant refusal to meet workers’ demands for the N70,000 new minimum wage.
The NLC had already made it crystal clear that workers in 14 states, including the FCT, were ready to strike on December 1st if the new national minimum wage wasn’t implemented.
What’s the holdup, you ask? Well, apparently, the Area Council Chairmen in the FCT received a memo from the NLC’s National Executive Council on November 14, 2024, urging them to implement the wage increase. But, those in charge couldn’t be bothered to respond. Not only did they ignore the demand, but they’ve also failed to pay workers the outstanding entitlements they’re owed, including the arrears of primary school teachers.
Knabayi didn’t hold back when addressing the issue. He accused the Council Chairmen of “blatantly refusing to respond” to the demand for the wage increase, calling their inaction a “gross violation of the law.” And just to make sure the point was clear, he emphasized that this disregard for workers’ welfare was unacceptable. “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,” Knabayi stated, as though the officials involved might have forgotten what their job actually entails. It’s hard not to wonder: is this just how things are done now – break the law and disregard the people you’re supposed to be serving?
And this isn’t just a minor inconvenience for the workers. It’s not some idle threat either. The NLC’s State Administrative Council met on November 12, 2024, and they made it clear that if the government didn’t meet their demands by the end of November, they’d go on an indefinite strike. Guess what? The government didn’t act. Now, all the workers in the six Area Councils in the FCT are set to strike indefinitely, starting December 1, until they get the respect and payment they deserve.
