The strike led by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has now entered its 11th day, with no resolution in sight as negotiations between the labour unions and the Area Council Chairmen remain deadlocked over the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage.
The FCT Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees Abdullahi Kabir, revealed that while the Area Council Chairmen have proposed a January 2025 implementation date for the new wage, the unions have firmly rejected this, demanding that the wage be implemented in December 2024.
“There is an ongoing discussion with the Area Council Chairmen, but they are appealing for the implementation to start in January. The unions are insisting that the new wage should begin in December,” Kabir stated in an interview on Tuesday. He further explained that delaying the implementation to January would result in a five-month arrears, while implementing the wage in December would reduce this to four months.
Aside from the minimum wage issue, Kabir highlighted several other concerns that have fueled the strike, including the lack of peculiar allowances for local government workers compared to staff of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA). He also pointed to discrepancies in pay, delays in implementing the 25% CONHESS and CONMESS allowances, and the non-implementation of wage awards for local government workers.
Kabir stressed the unique status of the FCT, noting that the FCT Minister acts as a stand-in for President Bola Tinubu, who serves as the de facto Governor of the FCT. “The FCT is different from other states. The FCT Minister stands in for President Bola Tinubu as the Governor of the FCT, and as such, we should benefit from the same entitlements as other federal workers,” Kabir explained.
The unions have made it clear that the strike will continue until the NLC provides a counter-directive, stating that the action will not end until a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) or an agreement is reached.
