BREAKING: COURT ORDERS FCT WORKERS TO SUSPEND STRIKE
Reported by Sele Media Africa| Ihuoma Amarachi
Abuja, Nigeria — The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) sitting in Abuja has granted an interlocutory injunction compelling workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to suspend their ongoing strike action pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit brought by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Justice Emmanuel Subilim delivered the ruling on Tuesday after hearing the application filed by Mr. Wike and the FCTA, who approached the court seeking an order to restrain members of the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) — including its Chairman, Rifkatu Iortyer, and Secretary, Abdullahi Umar Saleh — from continuing industrial action, picketing or work stoppages. According to the court, although the dispute qualifies as a trade dispute, the right to strike is not absolute under the law once a matter has been referred to the National Industrial Court. The judge held that ongoing industrial action must cease pending judicial determination to ensure the dispute is properly adjudicated. “An order of interlocutory injunction is hereby granted, restraining the defendants and their representatives from further embarking on any industrial action against the claimants.
This order shall remain in force pending the determination of this suit,” the court ruled. The matter has been adjourned to March 23, 2026, for hearing of the substantive case. The strike, now in its second week, has disrupted activities across several FCTA departments, agencies, and parastatals in Abuja, as workers protested over unresolved welfare complaints, including unpaid salaries, backlog of promotions, and poor working conditions. While the FCT Administration argues it has met many of the workers’ demands and is addressing others, the union insists core issues remain unresolved — fuelling tensions between labour and the FCTA leadership.
Citations
:https://www.thecable.ng/breaking-court-orders-fcta-workers-to-suspend-strike https://www.naijanews.com/2026/01/27/breaking-court-directs-fcta-workers-to-suspend-strike/
UPDATED: Court orders FCT workers to suspend strike
https://punchng.com/breaking-court-orders-fct-workers-to-suspend-strike/ https://www.tvcnews.tv/industrial-court-orders-fcta-workers-to-suspend-ongoing-strike/
