By Sarah NEGEDU
The National Industrial Court in Abuja on Monday, adjourned hearing in the case filed by FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, against the Joint Unions Action Committee, JUAC, with the matter now set for ruling on Tuesday, 27th January.
Justice Emmanuel Subilim fixed the ruling after taking submissions on the FCTA’s application seeking to stop its workers from continuing the indefinite strike that has crippled government operations in the FCTA since last Monday.
This is coming one week after JUAC workers began an indefinite strike over stalled welfare discussions, promotion arrears, and what they described as long-standing administrative delays in the FCTA.
Wike, had on last week, filed a suit, NICN/ABJ/17/2026, seeking orders to stop the industrial action, arguing that JUAC is not a registered trade union under the Trade Unions Act and therefore lacks the legal authority to declare a strike or issue directives to workers. The Minister is also asking the court to restrain the union from picketing or blocking access to offices.
The matter drew wider attention at the weekend after the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, met with JUAC and announced that it would take over the dispute if the government failed to address workers’ concerns.
Speaking after the meeting, the NLC President Comrade Joe Ajaero, said what was happening in the FCTA was unacceptable, and so the NLC stands in solidarity with JUAC.
He added that the strike was not only justified but, “it is a necessary and heroic response to a vicious cocktail of neoliberal attacks, gross administrative impunity, and a systematic violation of the fundamental rights of workers by the FCTA
management and its political leadership.”
The NLC President therefore called for a total escalation of the industrial action by directing all affiliate unions within the FCT to fully align with and intensify the strike by the FCTA workers, stressing that, “This struggle is now the struggle of every worker in the FCT.”
The court’s ruling on Tuesday is expected to determine whether JUAC workers will remain off duty or be compelled to resume while the substantive issues are heard.
