The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), FCT Wing, have rejected a directive by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to enforce a “no-work, no-pay” policy against striking workers.
The labor bodies condemned the minister’s threat as “unconstitutional, illegal, provocative, and unenforceable” in separate circulars issued to union members on Sunday, October 11, 2026, from their secretariat in Abuja.
The confrontation follows an indefinite industrial action declared by the NLC on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, over unresolved labor disputes between the FCT Administration (FCTA) and primary school teachers under the NUT.
On Friday, October 9, 2026, Minister Nyesom Wike directed Area Council chairmen across the FCT to immediately enforce the “no-work, no-pay” policy against all participating workers. To enforce compliance, Wike mandated the FCT Head of Civil Service, school principals, and head teachers to open and monitor daily attendance registers across schools and administrative offices to track absentees.
During his press brief on Friday, Wike dismissed the strike as “political,” alleging that the local NLC leadership had partisan motives. He maintained that the FCTA had already resolved or commenced implementation on all legitimate demands concerning teachers’ welfare, promotions, and operational funding.
Responding via official statements released on Sunday, October 11, key labor representatives urged civil servants and primary school teachers across all six FCT Area Councils to remain steadfast and ignore the minister’s directives.
Mr. Knabayi Adalo, NLC FCT Chairman stated that “Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, the Trade Unions Act, and ILO Conventions 87, 98, and 151, all ratified by Nigeria, guarantee workers’ right to embark on strike after due process. The NLC FCT has fulfilled all legal conditions.
The no-work, no-pay rule under Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Act applies strictly to illegal strikes. We assure all teachers and workers that the NLC will protect your jobs and salaries; no worker will be victimised.”
Adalo warned school heads and administrators against intimidating workers or forcing them to sign attendance registers.
Mrs. Margaret Jethro, NUT FCT Wing Secretary said; “We urge you not to panic, not to be intimidated, and not to sign any attendance register. Shun the threat; the ongoing strike is legal and constitutionally guaranteed. Our demands are genuine and not political, as is being insinuated—we are asking for our welfare, not for power. Do not chicken out; we must fight this battle together and now.”
Jethro also addressed the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), accusing its leadership of betraying teachers after ASUSS distanced itself from the industrial action.
Both the NLC FCT Council and NUT FCT Wing reaffirmed that the industrial action will persist until the FCT Administration addresses all outstanding labor grievances, including promotion backlogs and local education authority funding.
Union leaders instructed all affected civil servants and primary school teachers to stay at home, remain peaceful, and await further instructions from the labor secretariats.
