After over two weeks of strike by the about 40,000 work force of Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), followed by Court injunction and threat of sack by the Federal Capital Territory Administration, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in the early hours of Tuesday succumbed and yielded to the demands of works for better welfare and conditions of service.
The resolution of the industrial dispute declared by the over 40, 000 work force was reached at a meeting between the national leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), both of which declared their support for the workers, during which the FCT Minister swallowed his pride and conceded to the demands of the disenchanted workers, thereby restored industrial harmony.
The strike which was directed by the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC), the umbrella organisation of all other Unions in the FCTA led by its president, Comrade Rifkatu Iortyer, paralysed activities of not only the FCT Administration at both its corporate headquarters located on 1 Kapital Road, Area 11, Garki, Abuja, and all Mandate Secretariats, Departments and Agencies (SDAs) in different parts of the territory.
Significantly, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike for some days was unable to access his office except on two occasions throughout the duration of the strike which was the first time the entire staff of the FCTA embarked on such a protest and industrial action since the creation of the FCT.
The cessation of the strike brought about joy on Tuesday morning as the workers of FCTA reported for work after about two weeks this morning that they are indeed on their desks and have resumed work today.
A joint statement by the NLC and TUC addressed to all affiliates of the body of the two labour organisations confirmed the meeting with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike and management of the FCTA.
The statement signed by Comrade Benson Upah and N. A. Toro. Acting General Secretary of the NLC and National Secretary of the TUC respectively, stated that the meeting which commenced at 11.45pm (Monday) and ended on Tuesday at 3.51am after extensive and frank deliberations.
The statement titled; ‘Outcome of Conciliatory Meeting with the Honourable Minister of FCT’ stated that all complaints presented by JUAC were taken one after the other and fully addressed.
It further stated that the FCT Minister assured the Organized Labour of mutual respect and sustained engagement going forward and specifically agreed that, arising from the strike, no worker shall be victimized in any manner.
The meeting also agreed that all outstanding cases at the National Industrial Court (NIC) shall be withdrawn immediately, thus all JUAC members and all affiliates of the TUC and NLC working in the Ministry of the FCT (MFCT) are therefore directed to resume work immediately.
The statement further said; “All affiliates are enjoined to comply with this directive in the interest of industrial peace and harmony in good faith”.
The workers in the FCTA the umbrella of JUAC had after putting the Wike-led Administration of the FCTA on notice in accordance with the provisions of the law, proceeded on an indefinite strike following what they described as Nyesom Wike’s indifference to their three-day warning protest in 2025 and the issuance of a 21-day ultimatum in addition to another seven-day ultimatum, to press home their demands for improved conditions of service.
The workers specifically complained of non-payment of six months’ statutory overhead to SDAs; skewed promotion or lack of same in some cases, stressing that the management deliberately did so to avoid payment of due promotion arrears.
Other demands by the workers included; the non-payment of four months of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2023 N32,000 Wage Award arrears designed to ameliorate the dire socio-economic straits occasioned by the yanking off of petrol subsidy; and non-payment of arrears of critical allowances to certain health and environmental sanitation workers.
JUAC particularly accused the Wike-led FCTA Administration of not remitting into their Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs) pension deductions made from their monthly salaries; non-payment of National Housing Fund (NHF) deductions; among others.
Surprisingly, when the FCT Minister responded to the demands, he claimed that “10 of the 14 demands” had been met by his Administration.
The claim by Wike did not go down well with JUAC which outrightly dismissed and debunked the position of the FCT minister and insisted that the demands of the workers were 18 and not 14 declared by Wike.
Unable to get the workers call off the strike, the FCT Minister went to the National Industrial Court (NIC) where Justice Emmanuel Subilim granted an interlocutory injunction restraining the workers from continuing with the strike and specifically ordered them to resume work.
The Court verdict was vehemently condemned by the NLC and criticised the court for acting on only one side by granting Wike’s reliefs while the demands of the workers were ignored and dissatisfied with the court ruling, the workers whose ego was boosted by the national leadership of NLC and TUC, hired the services of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Femi Falana to lead other prominent lawyers, including Barrister Maxwell Opara.
Accordingly, Falana and his team filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal and also secured an interim order quashing the NIC’s restraining order.
The Monday-Tuesday night conciliatory meeting and resolutions reached, it is expected that all issues agreed upon shall be adhered to by both parties in the overall interest of industrial harmony needed for the FCTA to function optimally.
