•Workers
Labour unions have asked their members and affiliates under the payroll of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to resume work with immediate effect.
The directive, contained in a joint circular by the TUC and NLC today, followed a marathon conciliatory meeting between the unions and the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike.
“Consequently, all JUAC members and all affiliates of the TUC and NLC working in the Ministry of the FCT (MFCT) are hereby directed to resume work immediately,” the circular, signed by the TUC Secretary General. N.A Toro and NLC Ag. General Secretary, Benson Upah, read in part.
“All affiliates are enjoined to comply strictly with this directive in the interest of industrial peace and harmony, in good faith.”
According to the labour unions, the breakthrough meeting was brokered by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT, Mohammed Bomoi, during which the grievances that have grounded activities at the FCTA secretariat since January 19 were addressed.
The unions said all complaints by the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) were fully “addressed to the satisfaction of all parties involved” with Wike assuring organised labour of “mutual respect and sustained engagement going forward to ensure a harmonious working relationship”.
Other resolutions reached included a deal that “no worker shall be victimized in any way for participating in the industrial action” and that all “outstanding cases at the National Industrial Court (NIC) related to this industrial dispute shall be withdrawn immediately by the parties.”
The workers, under the umbrella of JUAC, had gone on strike over issues like non-remittance of statutory deductions (Pension and National Housing Fund), delays in payment of promotion of arrears, and the conduct of the promotion exercise among other issues.
The workers’ strike led to the shutdown of activities in departments and agencies of the FCTA and FCDA. That led Wike to sue the JUAC.
On January 27, the National Industrial Court directed the workers to suspend the industrial action. While it held that the issue is a trade dispute, the defendants’ right to go on strike was not absolute.
The court said that since the dispute had been brought to it, the strike must stop until the case is determined.
Following the verdict, the FCTA directed the workers to resume work immediately, but the NLC told its members to continue with the industrial action.
Yesterday, the National Industrial Court (NIC) issued an interim order restraining the NLC and the TUC, and three others, from protesting on Tuesday, February 3, 2026.
Justice Emmanuel Sublim, while ruling on an ex parte application filed by Wike and the FCTA, granted the interim order restraining the 1st to 5th respondents and their privies or agents from embarking on strike pending the hearing of the motion on notice.
He asked the 5th-9th defendants, who are security agencies, to ensure no breakdown of law and order.
The exparte motion, which was filed by Counsel to Wike and the FCTA, Ogwu Onoja, submitted that the Chairman of the FCT council had sent a message of mobilization to members and affiliated unions for a protest on February 3.
FCTA and police authorities had also asked the workers to shelve the planned protest.
