The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has addressed 10 out of 14 demands made by its workers, who embarked on an indefinite strike on Monday over unresolved welfare concerns. According to Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, the remaining four issues are being looked into with a view to addressing them.
The strike, which began on Monday, has been met with a mixed reaction from workers, with some unions dissociating themselves from the action. The Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Capital Territory (ARD-FCTA), has even written to the Minister, Nyesom Wike, appreciating his efforts to address the welfare of healthcare workers, including the payment of outstanding hazard allowance arrears and a one-month wage award.
Top officials of the FCTA have held several meetings with union leaders, including on Saturday and Sunday, to discuss the demands and possible solutions. In one of the meetings, the Minister assured the union leaders that he was committed to addressing all the demands, and an appeal was made to adopt dialogue in resolving the issues affecting staff welfare.
The FCTA has already addressed several of the demands, including the payment of outstanding wage awards, hazard allowances, and rural allowances for health workers. The administration has also approved the payment of promotion arrears, which is currently being processed. Additionally, the issue of elongation of tenure of retired Directors and Permanent Secretaries has been resolved, with assurances of strict compliance with the Public Service Rules.
Other issues raised by the workers, such as lack of training and retraining, non-remittance of National Housing Funds deductions, and pension contributions, are being addressed. The Head of Service has constituted a committee to holistically address all issues relating to deductions and remittances.
The FCTA has directed security agencies to ensure that workers who have opted out of the strike have access to their offices to carry out their lawful duties unhindered. With the Minister’s concerted efforts to address the demands, the strike action has been deemed unnecessary and ill-motivated. The FCTA will continue to prioritize the welfare of its workers and engage in dialogue to resolve any outstanding issues.
