The Nationwide Industrial Court docket has briefly halted the indefinite strike motion embarked upon by staff of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
The ruling was delivered by Justice Emmanuel Subilim following an software filed by the authorized staff of the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, Channels Tv stories.
The choice comes days after FCTA staff shut down public establishments throughout Abuja over unresolved welfare and employment-related considerations.
The court docket’s intervention now compels the placing staff to droop their industrial motion whereas the substantive points are heard and decided, setting the stage for a authorized decision to a dispute that has disrupted authorities actions within the nation’s capital.
What they’re saying
The dispute earlier than the court docket lists the President and the Secretary of the Joint Union Motion Congress (JUAC) as respondents, following a swimsuit instituted by the FCT Minister.
The Minister requested the court docket to intervene, arguing that the strike contravened present labour legal guidelines as soon as the matter was referred to the Nationwide Industrial Court docket.
The Minister “sought an order compelling the placing FCTA staff to return to work.”
Justice Subilim dominated that “industrial motion should be halted” and events should keep the established order as soon as a dispute has been referred to the Nationwide Industrial Court docket.
The choose warned that no occasion ought to take any motion that will render the case worthless.
He additional pressured that “it’s within the public curiosity for industrial peace to be maintained.”
Counting on Part 18(1)(e) of the Commerce Disputes Act, the court docket ordered FCTA staff to droop their ongoing strike pending the listening to and dedication of the originating summons, adjourning the matter to March 25, 2026.
Backstory
The strike motion was triggered by what staff described as persistent neglect of their welfare calls for by the FCTA management. Nairametrics had earlier reported that unions underneath the JUAC umbrella resolved to down instruments after a number of engagements with the administration did not yield concrete outcomes.
In response to the President of JUAC, Mrs. Rifkatu Iortyer, the choice to embark on an indefinite strike adopted months of unmet guarantees and unresolved grievances that straight affected staff’ livelihoods, particularly,
- Alleged non-remittance of pension contributions deducted from staff’ salaries.
- Failure to remit Nationwide Housing Fund contributions.
- Non-payment of some wage parts, overheads, and arrears arising from earlier wage awards.
Union leaders argued that the shutdown of public establishments was supposed to compel the administration to handle these points decisively, insisting that earlier warning actions had been ignored.
What you need to know
Industrial actions throughout the Federal Capital Territory Administration have grow to be a recurring characteristic in recent times, reflecting deeper structural and welfare challenges throughout public sector establishments in Abuja. Varied skilled teams have repeatedly resorted to strikes to press residence calls for associated to pay, allowances, and dealing situations.
In January 2025, the Affiliation of Resident Docs (ARD-FCTA) suspended a warning strike after the intervention of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, following the fee of six months’ wage arrears and approval of accoutrement allowances.
In September 2025, resident medical doctors in Abuja launched into an indefinite strike over unpaid salaries, stalled promotions, and deteriorating hospital services after a warning strike and ultimatum yielded no response.
Major faculty lecturers within the FCT additionally carried out a chronic strike in 2025 over unpaid minimal wage arrears and different entitlements, suspending the motion solely after partial funds have been made.
The present JUAC-led strike on the FCTA secretariat matches into this broader sample of labour unrest within the territory, underscoring persistent tensions between staff and authorities over welfare obligations.
With the court docket now seized of the matter, all events are anticipated to current their arguments throughout the framework of the legislation.
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