Solidarity with Indefinite Strike by FCT Area Councils & Other Protests

Members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Medical & Health Workers Union (MHWUN) and National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) in the area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) continue their indefinite strike that started on 24th March. All the primary schools and primary health care centres in Abuja have been shut for more than three months now.

This is an important strike over the implementation of the minimum wage. It requires solidarity from other trade unions to ensure an essential victory. Such a victory would give confidence to workers in other states who are facing the same challenges. It is estimated that around 20 other states are yet to properly implement the minimum wage that became law almost a year ago.

Complete victory demands that we organize wider support and solidarity action from across the trade union movement for the Abuja strike. The unions correctly organised protests outside Wike’s office on 24th April. Such mass protests and further publicity around the strike are still needed. So it is great that the unions are organising further protests on 7 – 9th July outside Wike’s office in Area 11, Abuja.

It is also encouraging that separate protests by FCTA workers closed Wike’s office for a third day (with support from the students’ NANS President) on Wednesday 2nd July. In a third dispute, Andrew Emelieze was released after over a day in detention by the DSS for organising a protest in Abuja on 1st July by the Federal Workers Forum over the non-payment of allowances etc to Federal workers.

It is only robust action by the relevant trade unions, their members, the wider trade union movement and civil society organizations that will make Wike and the whole Federal Government pay the workers their legal entitlements.

Socialist Labour is committed to the effective trade union action that is necessary to ensure that all trade union members share the wealth that we create. For this reason we would like to continue our support and co-operation with NLC and its member trade unions in FCT. We call on other workers to build wider support for the success of the strikes and protests.

For more details on the background to strike by FCT primary teachers and health workers, see:
https://socialistlabour.com.ng/how-can-the-fct-area-council-workers-strike-win/

To contact the Federal Workers Forum write to: allworkersconvergence@gmail.com