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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has suspended its indefinite strike, directing affected workers, particularly primary and secondary school teachers, to resume work on Wednesday.
The FCT NLC chairman, Knabayi Adalo, announced the suspension in a communiqué issued in Abuja on Tuesday, following conciliatory talks involving the union, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Adalo said the decision was reached at an emergency meeting of the union’s State Executive Council (SEC) at the Labour House, Central Business District, Abuja.
According to him, the meeting resolved that promotion vacancies for education officers should align with established positions declared by the FCT Education Secretariat.
He said the FCTA expressed optimism that the forthcoming exit of directorate officers would create opportunities for the promotion of eligible education officers in the territory.
On the 2025 promotion examination, Adalo said following its approval by the FCT Executive Council and communication to the FCT Civil Service Commission, stakeholders agreed that a new date would be announced to enable qualified candidates to sit for the examination.
“Regarding the deployment of officers benefiting from the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers back into classrooms, stakeholders agreed to maintain the FCT Executive Council’s directive, stepping down the process until further notice,” he said.
The NLC chairman added that the union secured a binding agreement that no worker or teacher would be victimised for participating in the industrial action.
He said the union would establish a monitoring committee to ensure that the FCTA and relevant authorities implement the agreements within the stipulated timelines.
Adalo, however, warned that failure to implement the resolutions would trigger an automatic resumption of the strike without prior notice.
He commended FCT teachers for their resilience during the industrial action and praised the solidarity of affiliate unions, the labour ministry and FCTA management throughout the negotiations.
The NLC had, on October 7, directed workers in the FCTA, including those in the private sector, to embark on an indefinite strike over unresolved labour disputes affecting teachers.
The strike, however, recorded partial compliance, as the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the FCT distanced themselves from the action and urged their members to continue working.
