Schools across the Federal Capital Territory were thrown into uncertainty as the Nigeria Labour Congress began an indefinite strike over teachers' promotion, career progression, and welfare. The strike was immediately challenged by the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, FCT Chapter, which directed teachers, principals, and education officers to ignore the stay-at-home order and continue with academic and administrative activities.
The Nigeria Labour Congress had issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Capital Territory Administration on September 8 to resolve longstanding grievances affecting teachers in the territory. The FCTA's response was described as "ambiguous, dismissive and totally unacceptable" by the NLC FCT Council Chairman, Comrade Knabayi Adalo. The union's major grievance is the application of a vacancy requirement to the promotion of teachers.
The NLC argues that teachers are a distinct category of workers recruited directly by the FCT Universal Basic Education Board and the FCT Secondary Education Board and should not be subjected to promotion rules designed for regular or pool civil servants. The union listed conditions that must be met before it would consider suspending the strike, including the immediate removal of the vacancy requirement for the promotion of FCT teachers.
The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools rejected the strike and urged teachers to report for duty, describing the NUT action as premature and capable of disrupting the academic calendar. ASUSS also disagreed with the NLC's position on the vacancy requirement, arguing that it was a statutory provision under the Public Service Rules governing establishment control and financial planning.
The conflicting directives from the two labour bodies have placed school authorities, teachers, and parents in a difficult position. While the NLC has directed its enforcement structures to ensure compliance with the strike, ASUSS has ordered secondary school teachers and administrators to remain at their duty posts. ASUSS appealed to parents and guardians to send their children to school, assuring them that academic activities would continue.
The dispute centres on the broader question of how teachers employed by the FCT education boards should be promoted, particularly whether promotion should depend on the availability of vacancies. The NLC and ASUSS have opposing positions, creating uncertainty over the operation of schools and the participation of teachers in the ongoing promotion examinations.
Until the dispute is resolved, parents and students may continue to face uncertainty over whether individual schools will remain open or comply with the NLC's strike directive. The strike and counter-directives have caused significant disruption to the education sector in the FCT, with students and parents bearing the brunt of the industrial action.
Key points
- The Nigeria Labour Congress began an indefinite strike over teachers' promotion, career progression, and welfare in the Federal Capital Territory.
- The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools rejected the strike, urging teachers to report for duty and continue with academic activities.
- The dispute centres on the application of a vacancy requirement to the promotion of teachers, with the NLC and ASUSS having opposing positions.
