President of the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC) of the FCTA and FCDA, Rifkatu Iortyer, has said workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) will continue their ongoing strike, insisting that a court ruling against union leaders is not binding on workers who were not parties to the suit.
Speaking in an interview on ARISE News on Wednesday, Iortyer said the suit was filed against her and another union leader in their individual capacities, not against the workforce, and that workers therefore resolved to continue the industrial action.
“The suit is Rifkatu Iortyer and Umar Abdullahi Sali, as individuals,” she said. “So when I came out and addressed the press again, telling them that we all have to go back to work, after a series of meetings, the staff said, ‘No, you were sued. We weren’t sued. So that ruling is not binding on us. You can go to work while we continue our strike.’”
Iortyer explained that even before the court delivered its judgement, she had sensed the outcome based on the heavy security presence at the court premises and appealed to workers to remain calm.
“Even before the court ruling, when we came out and we saw so many security personnel, even at the court entrance, chaining their hands and telling us how we would go in, I told them I needed to address the workers,” she said.
“From every indication, when you see massive turnout of security people like this, and you are already being fenced not to move here or there, it means we have been robbed. It means this judgement is not going to be in our favour. I appealed to them to be very calm and law-abiding because we do not want any casualty or escalation, particularly violence.”
Addressing reports that some workers had resumed duty, Iortyer said those who returned to work did so under duress.
“I dare to tell you that the people you saw who came to work today came because they were threatened,” she said. “And some of them do not have that whatever. That was why they came. If your correspondent that went around would tell you, that is not how our offices used to be. A lot of people really did not come to work.”
She also rejected claims by FCT authorities that most of the union’s demands had been met, insisting that the figures being quoted were inaccurate.
“Now, let me tell you, we did not have 14 demands,” Iortyer said. “As at when the DSS invited us, we gave them 22 demands. With management and the Head of Service, we gave 18.”
She explained that security officials later asked the union to prioritise its demands.
“The DSS representative said we should come up with 10 priority lists,” she said. “We decided to be ticking, ticking, ticking, and they said, ‘No, let’s stop at 10,’ even though everything on that list was priority to us.”
According to her, the agitation had already forced the government to act on several longstanding issues.
“We complained about our pensions being deducted and not remitted from June to December, seven months,” she said. “As of this morning, this strike has yielded that result. This morning, we are beginning to get our alerts. This agitation brought out that money.”
She added, “We complained about five months wage award arrears. They paid one month in January when we started agitating. We complained about 13 months hazard allowance arrears for health workers. They paid that because of this agitation.”
Iortyer also spoke extensively about the union’s opposition to tenure elongation for directors, which she said was stifling career progression within the service.
“We do not want tenure elongation,” she said. “When it is time for you to retire, you say, ‘No, just stay.’ It stunts our growth. There is no movement. It is becoming a normal thing.”
She recalled that workers had earlier protested against the practice.
“In October, we picketed and said the director must go. They pleaded with us and said they would give us 11 more openings. We agreed,” she said. “With the same promise that the minister said he would not do it again. Three weeks after, they elongated tenure for another person.”
She continued, “It has been on and on. That is why we are refusing to let it continue. You are supposed to go, but they keep you for one year. I am supposed to take your chair.”
Iortyer said repeated reversals of earlier assurances had eroded trust between workers and the FCT leadership.
“If you promise us and three weeks later you are doing the same thing, how do we take your words?” she asked. “You now have trust issues with the minister.”
She disclosed that the union had not held direct talks with the FCT Minister, contrary to claims by the authorities.
“We have only met with the Head of Service and the Special Adviser on Administration to the minister,” she said. “At a point, the Director of Security came in, and at another point, the DSS came in. We have never met the minister.”
On how the dispute could be resolved, Iortyer said dialogue remained the only option.
“They should call us now,” she said. “They took us to court. They should do the needful. I have not seen where a father will carry his children to court instead of calling them to talk.”
She added that not all issues could be discussed publicly.
“The things that are on paper are not really the issues,” she said. “We don’t want to spill certain things on air. That is why we want to see him so that he gives us his words and we hold on to his words.”
Iortyer concluded by reiterating the union’s willingness to engage if invited.
“Since they say they are open to dialogue, if you call us, we will come,” she said.
Boluwatife Enome
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