FCT Union Defies NUT Strike, Orders Teachers Back To Classrooms

The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chapter, has kicked against the indefinite strike declared by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), FCT Wing.
ASUSS directed secondary school teachers and education officers to continue their normal duties.

The union urged teachers to disregard the strike directive, insisting that students must not be made to suffer the consequences of unresolved labour disputes.
In a statement it issued yesterday after an emergency meeting of its State Executive Council (SEC), ASUSS described the industrial action as premature and detrimental to educational stability in the territory.

The union’s position came amid an escalating dispute between organised labour and the FCT Administration (FCTA) over teachers’ promotion, career progression and the redeployment of directors of education agencies.

Addressing the issues raised by the NUT, ASUSS maintained that the vacancy requirement for promotion remained a statutory provision under the Public Service Rules (PSR), which guides establishment control and financial planning in the public service.

It argued that any changes to existing career structures should be pursued through administrative dialogue and established procedures rather than industrial action.

On the promotion dispute, ASUSS said arrangements had been made for teachers affected by the delay in the 2025 promotion exercise, explaining that the 2025 and 2026 promotion cycles would run concurrently under the FCT Civil Service Commission.

According to the union, the arrangement was outlined in circulars issued in September 2026.

ASUSS also defended the redeployment of directors of education agencies to classrooms, arguing that such decisions fell within management’s statutory powers to maintain administrative order and efficiency.

The union further alleged that the NUT’s strike could disrupt the scheduled 2025/2026 promotion examinations for FCT Education Officers.

It consequently directed all eligible officers to participate in the examinations in line with the published timetable.

In a direct appeal to parents and guardians, ASUSS urged them to send their children to school, assuring them that academic activities would continue despite the industrial dispute.

The union also directed secondary school principals and vice-principals to ensure that schools remained open for academic and administrative activities.

Teachers were instructed to report to their respective classrooms and discharge their teaching responsibilities, while school administrators were told to disregard directives from bodies the union considered unauthorised that sought to disrupt the academic calendar.

ASUSS further directed school authorities to monitor staff attendance and maintain a safe and conducive learning environment for students.

The union said the welfare and academic future of students must remain a priority, warning against allowing industrial disagreements to derail teaching and learning across the FCT.