FCTA workers begin protest over welfare

Civil servants in the employment of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and its agencies yesterday began a protest over their welfare. Already, several affiliated labour unions in the territory are threatening a showdown with the minister. Some other unions, including the FCT chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), have also vowed to ground […]

Civil servants in the employment of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and its agencies yesterday began a protest over their welfare.

Already, several affiliated labour unions in the territory are threatening a showdown with the minister.

Some other unions, including the FCT chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), have also vowed to ground the nation’s capital with a series of protests to begin from July 7.

The workers said the FCT minister’s attitude to their welfare leaves a lot to be desired, adding that they have never had it so bad.

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Our correspondent, who has been monitoring the unfolding scenario between the workers and the FCT Administration for some time now, reports that unless the minister takes urgent action to address some of the workers’ grievances, the looming industrial crisis could ground activities, not only at the area councils, but at the FCTA.

Most of the union leaders faulted the minister for what they described as prioritising infrastructure over their welfare.

The Vice President of the Joint Union Action Committee of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Musa Istifanus, told Abuja Metro on Monday that since the coming of Wike as minister, workers’ welfare had been relegated to the background.

He wondered why the minister would be focusing mainly on “the road project when the entire workforce is not only suffering but demoralised under his watch.”

The labour leader said several letters written to the minister to seek dialogue with him were not honoured.

 

Why workers are protesting

The Joint Union Action Committee of the Federal Capital Territory Administration yesterday staged a peaceful protest at the entrance of the FCTA secretariat at Area 11 to call the attention of the relevant stakeholders to their plights.

The president of the union, Comrade Rifkatu Ortyer, said the protest was not meant to confront the government but to call his attention to the demands of the workers.

She said since the minister assumed office, there has not been promotion, training as well as overhead allowances to run the agencies and the departments.

According to her, in some cases, these departments had to resort to borrowing papers to run the offices.

Comrade Ortyer said salaries of over 40,000 FCTA staff are now being paid in one single office with deductions of all sorts, as against when it was decentralised.

The labour leader also criticised the decision of the minister to stop monthly payment for casual workers in some of the agencies, which include the FCT Water Board, the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and the hospitals. The union also demanded the removal of the chairman of the FCT Civil Service Commission, saying the commission, which is supposed to be a blessing to the workers, has now become the workers’ main enemy.

Our correspondent, who witnessed the protest, saw the workers armed with placards.

Some were singing anti-Wike songs, warning him that the FCT is different from Rivers or Fubara.

At the time Abuja Metro left the protest venue, no official of the FCT Administration was at hand to address the workers.

But Comrade Rifkatu Ortyer told our reporter that the protest would continue till Wednesday if the minister refuses to meet with the workers’ leaders.

Asked what would happen thereafter, the JUAC’s leader said the workers would meet to decide the next action, which might include shutting down all the offices in the FCT Administration.

 

FCT NLC gears up for protest too

Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress has warned that it will shut down Abuja after July 3 if authorities fail to resolve ongoing industrial disputes affecting area council workers.

The Chairman of the FCT NLC, Dr Stephen Knabayi, issued the warning during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Thursday, stating that the action is aimed at compelling the FCT Administration to address welfare concerns raised by striking workers.

The union said it deliberately held back from action to allow President Bola Tinubu to conclude the series of projects inaugurations in Abuja, which are scheduled to end on July 3, marking his second year in office.

“We had to extend the ultimatum because of Tinubu’s movements to inaugurate the projects,” Knabayi said.

“Members of the union will take over the streets of Abuja as soon as Tinubu concludes the inauguration, hopefully on July 3. We are waiting for it to end, and we will come together to step up our planned action.”

Abuja Metro reports that the FCT has witnessed months of industrial unrest in its six area councils, with primary health centres shut down and public-school teachers away from classrooms. Offices in the secretariats have also remained largely abandoned due to the strike action.

The disputes stem from unpaid arrears of the national minimum wage, the non-payment of a 40 per cent peculiar allowance, and the failure to implement previously agreed salary increases of 25 per cent and 35 per cent. Workers are also demanding the implementation of the N35,000 wage award promised by the Federal Government.

The six area councils’ chairmen had pleaded with the workers to suspend the strike and allow for dialogue in resolving the industrial crisis.

The minister, Nyesom Wike, had also promised to intervene in resolving the crisis, but nothing has been done since then.