Wike also argued that the FCT NLC chairman was pursuing a political agenda linked to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
By Kehinde Okeowo
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has insisted that the industrial action embarked upon by the Abuja chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is politically motivated.
He levelled the allegation on Friday during a press briefing in Abuja, shortly after a closed-door meeting with Area Council chairmen and security operatives.
On Wednesday, the FCT Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) declared an indefinite strike and directed all workers in both the public and private sectors to shut down schools, hospitals, government offices, and other establishments across the nation’s capital.
The declaration came after the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the FCT Administration (FCTA) over unresolved issues concerning teachers’ promotions.
The labour council accused the FCTA of failing to adequately address its demands, particularly the call to abolish the requirement for vacant positions before teachers can be promoted.
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Reacting to the allegations, Wike argued that the issues raised by organised labour had already been agreed upon and were being addressed.
The former Rivers State governor also claimed that the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) had distanced themselves from the strike.
Insisting that his administration had no outstanding issues with area council workers, Wike stated that a “no work, no pay” policy would be enforced against workers who participate in the industrial action.
Wike said, “If you want to expose yourself, you are free to. But excuse yourself if you are not part of the union, so you don’t participate.”
Arguing that the government had addressed the demands presented by labour, Wike added, “We have no issues with them at all, and they cannot tell the public that issues we have raised have not been addressed. Everything we have, we implement.”
The minister questioned the rationale behind the strike, maintaining that the administration could not understand why workers would embark on industrial action despite what he described as efforts to resolve their grievances.
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