The organised labour movement in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has become divided over an indefinite strike declared by the FCT Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), with the Trade Union Congress (TUC) directing its members to disregard the action and continue their normal duties.

The disagreement follows a labour dispute between the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) over unresolved issues affecting teachers’ promotions, the redeployment of education directors and other employment-related grievances.

While the NLC has called on workers in the territory to participate in the strike, the TUC says it was neither consulted nor involved in the decision to embark on the industrial action.

The conflicting directives have created uncertainty among workers, with some unions supporting the strike and others insisting that their members should report for work as usual.

The NLC had directed public and private sector workers in the FCT to begin an indefinite strike on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, over unresolved labour demands.

However, in a statement issued on Friday, October 9, the TUC FCT Council distanced itself from the directive, maintaining that the decision was taken without consultation with its leadership or affiliated unions.

The TUC said it did not participate in the meeting that produced the strike directive and had not endorsed the decision to commence the industrial action.

“We took no part in the meeting that produced it, and we did not take part in the decision to call a strike. Accordingly, the TUC FCT is not a party to the said industrial action,” the council stated.

Consequently, the union directed its affiliated organisations and members across the territory to continue their normal activities and report to their workplaces.

“All TUC affiliate unions and members in the FCT should go about their normal duties and businesses and report to work as usual,” it said.

The council also warned against attempts to intimidate or compel its members to participate in an industrial action that had not been authorised by its leadership.

“Members should not be intimidated or coerced into joining any action that the TUC has not sanctioned. Any such incident should be reported to the TUC FCT Secretariat without delay,” the statement added.

The TUC further instructed leaders of affiliated unions to disregard directives to establish enforcement committees unless such instructions came directly from the FCT council’s leadership.

The labour organisation urged workers to remain calm and law-abiding while calling for dialogue and established industrial relations procedures to resolve the dispute.

It also expressed concern about the potential consequences of prolonged industrial action for teachers, workers and schoolchildren, stressing the importance of protecting access to education.

“We remain open to that approach, so that our children’s access to education and a bright future is not disrupted,” the council said.

NULGE Backs Strike, Directs Members to Stay Away from Work

In contrast to the TUC’s position, the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), FCT Council, has declared its support for the strike and directed its members across the territory’s six area councils to participate in the industrial action.

In a notice of solidarity signed by its FCT Council secretary, Ayendi Agede, the union instructed local government employees, including non-teaching staff of Local Education Authorities, to remain at home from Friday, October 9, until further notice.

NULGE said the decision was intended to demonstrate solidarity with FCT teachers and defend workers’ rights and dignity.

The union urged its members to remain calm, united and disciplined while complying with the directive.

Its decision has further highlighted the divisions within the organised labour movement, as the NLC and NULGE support the industrial action while the TUC has instructed its members to continue working.

The differing positions could affect the extent of workers’ participation and the implementation of the strike across government offices, local councils and other workplaces in Abuja.

Secondary School Teachers’ Union Rejects Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), FCT chapter, had also distanced itself from the strike before the TUC announced its position.

The union’s chairman, Julius Ogundiran, directed secondary school teachers and education officers to report for their normal academic duties.

Ogundiran described the strike as premature and warned that it could disrupt teaching, examinations and students’ academic progress.

He maintained that disagreements between the FCT Administration and teachers should be addressed through administrative engagement and negotiation rather than industrial action that could affect schoolchildren.

“The future and academic destiny of the Nigerian child in the classroom must not be used as collateral or held hostage at every instance of industrial disagreement,” he said.

ASUSS also argued that some of the grievances raised by the NLC required administrative solutions rather than an indefinite strike.

The union questioned the justification for industrial action over the promotion of teachers, the handling of promotion examinations and the redeployment of education officials, maintaining that these matters should be resolved through established procedures.

Its position has added another layer to the disagreement, with teachers’ organisations and other labour groups issuing conflicting instructions about whether workers should remain at home or resume their duties.

Dispute Centres on Teachers’ Promotions and Redeployment

The industrial action stems from unresolved disagreements between the FCT Administration and the Nigeria Union of Teachers over employment conditions and administrative decisions affecting teachers.

One of the principal demands concerns the removal of the vacancy requirement for teachers’ promotions. Under the arrangement criticised by the NLC, promotion may depend on the availability of an approved vacancy within the relevant establishment.

The labour congress has argued that this requirement contributes to career stagnation and undermines the morale of teachers who have met the necessary promotion criteria.

The NLC is also demanding the conclusion of outstanding teachers’ promotion exercises covering 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Another major issue involves the redeployment or demotion of directors within agencies under the FCT education administration. The NLC has called for the withdrawal of the affected letters and the reinstatement of officials it says are covered by the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers Act, 2022.

The union’s decision to embark on an indefinite strike followed the expiration of its seven-day ultimatum to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.

The dispute has now expanded beyond the original disagreement involving teachers, as the NLC’s directive called on workers across the FCT’s public and private sectors to join the action.

However, the TUC’s objection that it was not consulted has raised questions about coordination between the two major labour centres in the territory.

Students and Parents Face Uncertainty

The conflicting directives have raised concerns about the potential impact on education and the daily activities of residents in the Federal Capital Territory.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Joint Campus Council, FCT chapter, has urged the parties to ensure that students do not become victims of the dispute.

Its Secretary-General, Abdulkarim Muhammad, called on the government and labour organisations to protect students’ education while addressing teachers’ grievances.

He urged all parties to safeguard classrooms, respect teachers’ rights and prevent the dispute from unnecessarily disrupting academic activities.

The concerns come amid conflicting instructions from the NLC, the Nigeria Union of Teachers, education authorities and teachers’ associations over whether schools should remain open.

The FCT Universal Basic Education Board had directed teachers to disregard the strike and resume work, while the NUT maintained that teachers should stay at home in compliance with the industrial action.

The competing instructions have left teachers facing uncertainty over their obligations, while parents and students await clarity about school attendance and the continuation of academic activities.

Labour Division Complicates Efforts to Resolve the Dispute

The disagreement between the NLC and TUC has complicated the labour situation in Abuja, with unions adopting different approaches to the same dispute.

The TUC has advocated dialogue and consultation, emphasising that industrial disagreements should be resolved through established channels and that children’s access to education should not be disrupted.

The NLC, meanwhile, has proceeded with its strike directive in pursuit of its demands concerning teachers’ career progression and the treatment of education officials.

NULGE’s decision to join the action from October 9 has strengthened the support for the strike among local government employees, even as ASUSS and the TUC have directed their members to continue working.

The unfolding situation places pressure on the FCT Administration and the unions to establish a common basis for negotiations and clarify the status of workers across the territory.

For now, the key issues remain unresolved: the conditions governing teachers’ promotions, outstanding promotion exercises, the treatment of affected education directors and the extent to which different categories of workers will comply with the strike.

The coming days will be important in determining whether negotiations can narrow the differences between the FCT Administration and labour representatives or whether the conflicting directives will prolong disruption across the territory.

The immediate concern for residents, workers, parents and students is a resolution that addresses the grievances raised by teachers while providing clarity about school operations and the responsibilities of workers throughout the Federal Capital Territory.