The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) have dismissed Minister Nyesom Wike’s threat to enforce the no-work, no-pay policy against striking workers.
Knabayi Adalo, the NLC chairman in Abuja, and Margaret Jethro, the NUT secretary, stated their positions in separate circulars to members on Sunday.
In the circulars, they described the directive as “unconstitutional, illegal, provocative and unenforceable”.
Last Friday, Mr Wike, the FCT Minister, directed area council chairs to enforce the no-work, no-pay policy against workers participating in the strike.
The directive followed the indefinite strike the NLC declared on October 7 over unresolved issues between the FCT Administration and the NUT.
The minister also directed the FCT Head of Civil Service, principals and headteachers to open daily attendance registers to track absentees.
Reacting, Mr Adalo urged affected workers and teachers to remain steadfast and disregard threats of salary stoppage or attendance monitoring.
He stressed that strike action remained a legitimate tool recognised under Nigerian law and international labour standards.
Addressing the threat to withhold salaries, the labour chairman argued that the no-work, no-pay rule under Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Act applied only to illegal strikes.
According to him, the FCT Administration provoked the strike by violating teachers’ rights through the imposition of a vacancy clause on their promotions.
“Another issue is the demotion of directors who are legitimate beneficiaries of the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022,” he said.
Mr Adalo also cited previous judgments by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, which he said supported workers’ entitlement to salaries in certain circumstances involving legitimate strikes.
He maintained that salaries could not lawfully be withheld when workers participated in a legitimate strike triggered by an employer’s breach of agreement.
Responding to reports that some school heads were forcing teachers to sign attendance registers, Mr Adalo directed union members to refuse to sign them.
“Workers facing queries, threats or harassment are instructed to report immediately to the NLC FCT Council Secretariat with evidence,” he said.
Mr Adalo warned that principals or headteachers who forced teachers to sign attendance registers or submitted lists for punitive action would be held personally responsible.
He demanded the immediate removal of the vacancy clause, the conduct of the 2025 promotion exercise and the full reinstatement of demoted directors.
Ms Jethro also described the no-work, no-pay directive as illegal and an empty threat, urging teachers not to resume duties out of fear.
“Our demands are genuine and not political, as is being insinuated. We are asking for our welfare, not for power,” she said.
The secretary thanked teachers for complying with the strike in the interest of their welfare, despite what she described as a “betrayal” by the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS).
She accused the union of betraying teachers by withdrawing from the strike.
“We urge you to remain peaceful and law-abiding while you stay at home,” she said.
(NAN)