The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a message of solidarity to striking workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), describing the Industrial Court order directing them to suspend the strike as surprising and distasteful.
In a statement, the Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Benson Upah, urged the workers not to lose heart, insisting that the ruling cannot weaken the resolve of workers who already feel aggrieved. He criticised the court for failing to consider key allegations raised by the workers, including claims of non-remittance of National Housing Fund and pension deductions.
The NLC also placed organisations and individuals violating the provisions of the Pension Fund Act and the National Housing Fund Act on notice, warning that such breaches would attract serious engagement with the congress. It further called on workers and all NLC organs to remain on high alert in view of the latest developments.
On Tuesday, Justice Emmanuel Subilim of the National Industrial Court ordered FCTA workers to suspend their ongoing industrial action pending the hearing and determination of an originating summons. The order followed an application by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who sought to compel the striking workers to return to work.
In the suit, the minister named the President and Secretary of the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC) as respondents. Justice Subilim ruled that once parties refer a dispute to the National Industrial Court, all industrial actions, including strikes, must be suspended.
Relying on Section 18(1)(e) of the Trade Disputes Act, the judge explained that filing an originating summons amounts to a referral of the dispute and requires an immediate halt to strike action. He warned that failure to comply with the law could attract sanctions and stressed that the public interest in maintaining industrial peace outweighs any inconvenience caused by suspending the strike.
The court adjourned the case to 25 March 2026 for hearing.
Following the ruling, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, warned that any FCTA worker who fails to resume duty from Wednesday, 28 January, would face disciplinary action. He said his administration had engaged with the unions and tabled all their grievances, adding that security agencies and FCT management had attempted dialogue without success, insisting that the dispute went beyond the unions’ stated demands.