…As union is set to issue 21-day notice while FCTA authorities keeps mum
A scheduled meeting between the Nyesom Wike-led management of the Federal Capital Territory Administration with the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC) over unpaid salaries and allowances of the over 40,000 workforce was deadlocked on Tuesday, July 2, 2025.
Members of JUAC made up of all unions in the Federal capital Territory Administration had embarked on a three-day warning strike to press home the demands of their members for better welfare.
The workers are demanding for 2023, 2024, and 2025 promotions, payment of the overhead funds usually used by heads of departments to run FCTA’s Secretariats, Departments and Agencies (SDAs) on a day-to-day basis, but stopped since December, 2024, the resumption of training and retraining of staff and a halt to the casualization of workers in a federal establishment such as the FCTA.
The workers however called of the warning strike on Tuesday, with a proviso to resume full-blown strike in August at the end of a 21-day notice, should the concerned authorities fail to meet their demands.
Forefront News authoritatively gathered that the union leaders, staged a walk-out from the meeting with the management of the FCTA over alleged refusal of the minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike or his representative to publicly address the protesting workers, who had endured a heavy downpour to participate in the protesst.
Comrade Rifkatu Iortyer, Chairman of JUAC disclosed as much when she addressed the workers on Tuesday, saying that the union leaders met with the FCTA management, but refused to come out to address the protesters.
According to Iortyer; “We walked out. We told them that we are only leading you and conveying your concerns. If they refuse to speak to all of us, we won’t continue the conversation in private”.
Forefront News also gathered that prior to the staged walkout, the management were prepared to concede certain demands such as promotions for which a circular was issued last week and trainings, but could not confirmed the position adopted on the vexed issues of statutory overhead.
It was also gathered that before the JUAC leaders walked out, they had insisted that the workers want the sack of the chairman of the FCT Civil Service Commission, Mr Emeka Ezeh, for peace to reign.
The JUAC chairman further said that the leadership of the unions would follow the nation’s labour laws by first issuing a 21-day notice to the Administration which would be followed by a 14-day notice, and a final seven-day notice.
According to Iortyer; “If no action is taken by the Administration, they are aware of the consequences. We have written the letter for the 21-day ultimatum. After that expires without response, we will give them 14 more days. If nothing happens, we will issue another seven-day notice. If that fails, we will resume action.
“My sincere prayer is that they hear us. We want them to hear us—that is why we have gathered. But, if they don’t, we will not back down. We will pursue the next steps they are avoiding,” she said.
The JUAC chairman pointedly said that should the measures fail, the union will be left with no option than to call out its members for a full-blown strike expected to kickstart in August 2025.
