Workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), under the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC), resumed their indefinite strike on Thursday. The industrial action, which initially began on January 19, is over unresolved welfare concerns.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that only a few workers were present across FCTA secretariats, departments, and agencies, a sharp contrast to Wednesday’s heavy turnout.
The low attendance followed JUAC’s directive for workers to remain at home.
The resumption of the strike by workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) comes after the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) filed an appeal against a National Industrial Court ruling on January 27. The ruling had instructed workers to suspend the strike and adjourned the case to March 23. JUAC pursued the appeal through its lead counsel, Femi Falana, SAN.
Following the court’s decision, Mrs. Nancy Nathan, acting Head of the Civil Service of the FCTA, directed all workers to resume duties on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike warned that there would be consequences for any worker who failed to return to work. He also assured staff that the FCTA remained open to reasonable negotiations, noting that “the majority of the demands have been addressed.”
Despite these directives, JUAC Secretary Abdullahi Saleh informed workers in a circular on Wednesday that the strike would continue from Thursday due to the pending appeal. He urged staff “to stay at home and pray for the success of the strike,” emphasizing that the struggle requires unity, discipline, and unwavering commitment.
Saleh further highlighted the support of major labour unions, recalling that the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) had, in a joint communiqué on January 28, encouraged FCT workers “to defend their rights with courage and dignity.”
The unions argued that the interlocutory injunction obtained by Wike and the FCTA targeted the President of JUAC, Mrs. Rifkatu Iortyer, and Saleh personally, not the trade unions themselves. In the communiqué, signed by NLC Acting General Secretary Benson Upah and TUC Secretary-General Nuhu Toro, they stressed that the strike would continue “until Wike negotiates with FCT workers.”