Rifkatu Iortyer, who leads the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC) representing the FCTA and FCDA workers, stated that the ongoing strike by Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) employees is set to continue. This, she says, is because a recent court ruling targeting union leaders does not affect those workers who were not involved in the legal proceedings.
During an interview with ARISE News on Wednesday, Iortyer explained that the lawsuit was directed against her and another union leader personally, not against the workforce as a whole, which is why employees have opted to persist with the strike.
"The lawsuit specifies Rifkatu Iortyer and Umar Abdullahi Sali in their individual capacities," she clarified. "When I informed the staff that they should return to work following a series of discussions, they responded, 'No, you were sued, but we weren't. So the ruling doesn't apply to us. You can go to work, but we will continue the strike.'"
Iortyer further noted that the heavy police presence outside the court led her to predict the ruling's outcome before it was delivered, prompting her to urge the workers to remain calm.
"When we noticed the large number of security personnel at the court, restricting our movement, I felt compelled to speak to the workers," she continued. "The surge in security forces indicated to me that the judgement would not favor us. I asked them to stay peaceful and avoid any potential violence."
In response to claims that some workers had returned to their duties, Iortyer asserted that those who resumed did so under pressure.
"I can assure you that the individuals you saw returning to work did so because they were threatened," she remarked. "The usual crowd in our offices was noticeably smaller."
Additionally, she dismissed the FCT authorities’ statements regarding the fulfillment of union demands, asserting that the figures cited were incorrect.
"Contrary to what has been reported, we initially put forward 22 demands when the DSS engaged us; subsequently, we revised that to 18 with the management and the Head of Service," she emphasized.
Iortyer recounted how security personnel had requested the union to prioritize its demands.
"The DSS representative suggested we create a priority list of ten demands," she explained. "We had to assert our need for all items on our list to be recognized as priorities, despite being told to limit ourselves to just ten."
She acknowledged that the ongoing agitation contributed to some significant outcomes from the government regarding outstanding issues.
"We raised concerns about pension deductions not being remitted for seven months from June to December, and this morning, we started receiving alerts after the strike," she noted. "Our agitation also led to a partial payment of wage award arrears."
Further, Iortyer addressed the issue of tenure elongation for directors, which she indicated negatively impacts workers' career advancement.
"We are opposed to tenure elongation," she stressed. "Such practices hinder progression and create stagnation in our careers."
Recalling a previous protest against this policy, she stated, "In October, we demanded that the director step down, and while they initially promised to create openings, they later backtracked on those assurances."
She continued, "Repeated broken promises have eroded trust in the leadership. If commitments are reneged upon shortly after they're made, how can we trust the minister?"
Moreover, she clarified that the union had not directly interacted with the FCT Minister, contrary to what is being claimed by officials.
"We have only engaged with the Head of Service and some advisors, but have not had direct discussions with the minister himself," she clarified.
On potential resolutions, Iortyer advocated for dialogue as the key path forward.
"They need to engage us now, after taking us to court they ought to address us in person, rather than treating us like children," she urged.
She also noted that not every matter could be discussed publicly.
"Many issues are more nuanced than what appears in written form; we prefer to discuss sensitive matters directly rather than in public," she added.
Iortyer concluded by reaffirming the union's openness to negotiations should the government extend an invitation.
"If they truly desire dialogue, we remain willing to attend any discussions they propose," she affirmed.
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