The strike action led by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has entered its 11th day, with negotiations between labour unions and Area Council Chairmen remaining deadlocked over the implementation timeline for the N70,000 minimum wage.

FCT Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Abdullahi Kabir, disclosed to reporters on Tuesday that Area Council Chairmen are proposing a January 2025 implementation date, while the unions insist on December 2024.

“As I’m talking to you now, there is a discussion ongoing with the Area Council Chairmen,” Kabir stated. “The Council Chairmen are appealing to the union that we should leave the issue of implementation till January. Meanwhile, the union is saying that the implementation should start in December. That’s where we are.”

The unions argue that delaying the implementation to January would increase wage arrears to five months, while starting in December would reduce the backlog to four months.

Kabir further highlighted other grievances of local government workers, including the non-payment of peculiar allowances, discrepancies in pay between local government staff and FCTA employees, and delays in implementing the 25% Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) and Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) allowances, as well as wage awards.

“There is the issue of peculiar allowances. The FCTA has gotten their own; we are going to the same market and paying the same rent. But local government workers have not been given these allowances,” he lamented.

Kabir also underscored the unique administrative structure of the FCT, stressing that the FCT Minister acts on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, who serves as the de facto governor of the territory.

“The FCT is different from other states. The FCT Minister is standing in for President Bola Tinubu as the Governor of the FCT. President Bola Tinubu is the President of the FCT. So we are supposed to benefit from all these things,” he said.

Kabir affirmed that the strike would continue until a directive is issued by the NLC to halt it.

“The strike has not ended until the NLC calls us and says this is the MoU or the agreement. Then we will know how to sort ourselves,” he concluded.

Attempts to reach the FCT Council Chairman of the NLC, Stephen Knabayi, for comments were unsuccessful as he did not respond to phone calls or messages at the time of filing this report.