Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, with effect from Wednesday declared a total and indefinite strike paralysing all public and private sector operations across the nation’s capital over unresolved welfare disputes of FCT teachers.
The NLC issued the directive following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the FCT Administration on September 8, 2026, demanding the resolution of the stated issues
The NLC FCT Council Chairman Comrade Knabayi S. Adalo, described in a communique the FCTA’s official response to the ultimatum, as “ambiguous, dismissive, and totally unacceptable”.
The NLC appealed to parents, residents, and civil society organizations in the FCT to support the industrial action, warning that failure to act will lead to the total collapse of the territory’s education sector
At the centre of the dispute is the FCTA’s implementation of a “vacancy clause,” which conditions teacher promotions on available establishment vacancies.
The NLC reckoned that teachers are recruited specifically by the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (FCT UBEB) and the FCT Secondary Education Board (FCT SEB) to teach, making them distinct from core civil servants or pool staff.
The union noted that vacancy-based promotion schemes applied to pool officers lead to severe career stagnation and demoralization for educators.
In light of this dispute the Congress directed all public and private sector workers, including affiliate unions across schools, hospitals, offices, and government establishments, to stay away from work starting October 7 until all demands are met.
It has also instructed enforcement committees to mobilize and monitor compliance across the territory.
“Teachers are not core civil servants nor pool staff and cannot be subjected to vacancy-based promotion meant for pool officers.
“The FCTA’s attempt to sustain industrial harmony without addressing injustice is mere wishful thinking.
“There can be no peace without justice,” Adalo stated.
The Council’s key demands include: immediate abolition of the vacancy clause as a requirement for teacher promotions, inclusion of eligible 2025 candidates to write their promotion examinations alongside or before 2026 candidates; and reversal of redeployment and demotion letters issued to directors benefiting from the Harmonized Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022, alongside the dissolution and reinstatement of management teams at FCT SEB and FCT UBEB.