*Prefer To Obey Their Union
*Day 3: Strike Still Paralyzes Govt Activities
By Felix Durumbah, Abuja
Striking employees of Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) today –for the second consecutive day -failed to turn up for work in spite of an order by FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike,on Monday night.
On Monday, the Minister, had in a statement by his spokesman, Lere Olayinka, dismissed the workers’ demands for better conditions of service and their subsequent resort to the ongoing indefinite strike as unnecessary, stressing that 10 of the 14 demands of the about 40,000-strong workforce had already been met by his administration -a position immediately disclaimed by the workers’ umbrella Joint Unions Action Congress (JUAC) in a swift response,also circulated to journalists.
The Minister in his statement also ordered security personnel to offer protection to those workers that opt not to be part of the strike and who wished to report for work -a stance immediately interpreted by the workers as a ploy to break their unity and solidarity.
The statement read:”The FCTA also calls on security agencies to ensure that workers who have opted not to be part of the strike have access to their offices so as to carry out their lawful duties unhindered.”
However, field checks by People&Politics yesterday (Tuesday, 20 January) and today in FCTA’s Secretariats, Agencies and Departments (SDAs) in Abuja showed that workers did not report for work –in apparent obedience to their union’s position on the strike.
It was a symbolic thumb-down to the Minister.
At the Minister’s Office complex, the usual beehive retained the look of a ghost town,which it had been since Monday when the strike kicked off.
Aside security personnel, FCTA core employees stayed off work in the expansive premises.
The usually jam-packed car park witnessed mainly parked, branded government vehicles with the unusual sight of vacant parking spaces as employees failed to come to work.
At Secondary Education Board (SEB), Sports Council, and several other agencies located in Area 2, Garki, the story was the same.
Further into the Federal Capital City, most offices located in Jahi and environs saw little or no presence of staff members.
The evidence on ground showed that the strike was paralyzing.
Recall that the industrial action followed a three-day protest by the workers last year over poor conditions of service.
The protest was followed by a three-week ultimatum to the FCTA authorities, and finally a seven-day ultimatum, to accede to the workers’ demands or face an indefinite strike.
While some of the demands, such as the payment of one month of five months’ arrears of President Bola Tinubu N32,000 Wage Award, some form of promotions and the settling of some health officers’ allowances, had been done recently, JUAC deemed these gestures too few and not all-embracing and opted to continue the strike until all the demands were granted.
As of press time, JUAC president, Comrade Rifkatu Iortyer, was holding meetings with the union’s top shots in front of FCTA corporate headquarters located on 1 Kapital Road, Area 11, Garki, Abuja.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Striking FCTA workers.
