The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have called on workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to defend their rights with courage and dignity.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, the two labour organisations pledged their support for the workers whom they described as shabbily treated by the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike.
According to the statement, the recent ruling by the industrial court is enough burden for the workers, and for the minister to add intimidation, humiliation, insults and harassment to the menu is something they cannot watch from the sidelines.
The organised labour further declared that the strike continues until Wike comes off his high horse and negotiates with the workers.
“Today, we (NLC and TUC) find it necessary to issue a joint statement of support in solidarity with the workers of Federal Capital Territory who have been shabbily treated by the Minister of FCT, Mr Wike and rubber-stamped by an Abuja National Industrial Court in a one-sided ruling intended to break up the strike and make workers perpetual slaves. As patently skewed as the ruling was, we had thought Mr Wike would use the window to reach out to organised labour for an amicable resolution of the issues, but he had boastfully resorted to threats against workers. The offenses committed against the FCT workers are serious enough. To add intimidation, humiliation, insults and harassment to the menu is something we cannot watch from the sidelines.
“Workers cannot be made slaves in their country. We stand for the rule of law and its observance to the hilt, no matter the status of the parties to this dispute. Accordingly, we not only support the workers in this action, we urge them to maintain high morale in the face of relentless threats. Happily, Mr. Wike obtained an order of interlocutory injunction against the two individual union leaders and not against the striking trade unions. So the strike continues”, the statement read.
FCTA workers began an indefinite strike last week over “authorities’ failure to address long-standing labour and welfare demands”.
Subsequently, Wike sued the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC) over the industrial action.
On Tuesday, the National Industrial Court in Abuja ordered the workers to suspend their strike.
