The National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Abuja has intervened in a simmering labour dispute involving workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), ordering them to suspend their ongoing strike even as unions insist on pressing ahead with their protests. The court’s decision, delivered on January 27, 2026, intensifies a standoff that has paralysed key government operations in the nation’s capital and highlighted deep frustrations over workers’ welfare and engagement with authorities.
The case before the court stemmed from a suit filed by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, alongside the FCTA, against leaders of the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC), the umbrella organisation representing striking FCTA workers. Named in the suit filed under the number NICN/ABJ/17/2026 were JUAC’s Chairman, Rifkatu Iortyer, and its Secretary, Abdullahi Umar Saleh. The claimants sought an order restraining the union and its members from continuing industrial action, picketing, or participating in any form of work stoppage.
Justice Emmanuel Subilim granted an interlocutory injunction in favour of Wike and the FCTA, holding that while the dispute qualified as a trade dispute and met the legal conditions for court intervention, the constitutional right to strike is not absolute once a matter has been brought before the National Industrial Court. In his ruling, the judge stated that referral of a dispute to the court effectively prohibits workers from continuing an industrial action until the substantive suit is finally determined. As a result, he ordered that the ongoing strike must cease and adjourned the case to March 23, 2026, for the next stage of hearings.
The developments followed earlier court proceedings, where lawyers for both sides presented arguments on whether the strike could be halted pending a judgment. Counsel for the respondents representing the union filed an application seeking to join the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) as parties to the suit. The rationale was that including these larger labour federations would ensure that any court directive would bind them as well. However, Justice Subilim refused the application, explaining that the court could not compel the inclusion of parties not originally listed by the claimants.
Despite the court order, leaders of the striking workers and allied unions have vowed to continue their protest. On Monday before the ruling, FCTA workers, backed by the NLC and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), had gathered at the National Industrial Court in Area 11, Abuja, demonstrating with placards and slogans that included “Wike Must Go,” “Pay Our Promotion Arrears,” and “Enough Is Enough.” The protests underscored labour’s discontent with management and government, especially over unresolved welfare grievances.
The strike began in earnest after a seven-day ultimatum issued by the unions on January 7, 2026, expired without resolution of their demands. Among the issues raised were unpaid salaries, long standing promotion arrears, poor working conditions, and other welfare concerns that the unions say have been neglected for too long. The dispute has effectively shut down operations at the FCTA Secretariat, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), and various agencies under the administration.
FCTA leadership has responded by asserting that it has met 10 out of 14 demands presented by the unions and is actively addressing the remaining issues. Despite these assurances, the unions have dismissed such claims as insufficient, maintaining that core concerns notably payment of arrears and improvements in workers’ conditions remain unresolved. JUAC Vice President Musa Istifanus has said that repeated attempts to engage FCTA management and the minister directly failed to yield meaningful dialogue, necessitating collective action by workers.
The court’s intervention highlights a broader legal principle under Nigerian labour law: once a trade dispute is referred to the National Industrial Court, workers are expected to suspend industrial action to allow for adjudication of the issues in a legal forum. While this is intended to preserve industrial peace and uphold due process, it often places labour unions at odds with state authorities, especially when grievances are felt urgently by rank-and-file members.
As the legal process unfolds, the strike’s future remains uncertain. With the next hearing scheduled for late March, both sides appear entrenched government seeking judicial resolution, and unions determined to leverage collective action to force substantive concessions. For now, the court order represents a temporary reprieve for FCTA operations, even as tensions between labour and management persist.
