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In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), unions on strike have persisted with their industrial action, even in the face of a court ruling mandating their return to work.

On January 19, The Federal Capital Territory Authority, FCTA workers under the Joint Union Action Committee, JUAC commenced an indefinite strike due to unresolved welfare issues.

JUAC initiated the strike to call for immediate measures to address welfare issues that have an impact on their “morale and productivity”.

On Monday, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) participated in the strike to show solidarity with their counterparts at the FCTA and FCDA.

The workers are demanding, among other things, payment of five-month wage awards, outstanding promotion arrears for 2023 and 2024, full disbursement of hazard allowance for 13 months, and rural allowance for health workers for 22 months.

Other demands include the remittance of pension and National Housing Fund deductions, cessation of worker intimidation, and improvements to staff welfare and working conditions.

On Tuesday, the National Industrial Court in Abuja instructed FCTA workers to halt their strike until further proceedings regarding a lawsuit from the FCT authorities aimed at ending the industrial action.

The order was given by Judge Emmanuel Subilim as part of a ruling on a request made by Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, and the FCTA.

Our correspondent sighted a court document on Wednesday indicating that the suit lists Wike and FCTA as claimants, while Rifkatu Iortyer and Abdullahi Umar Saleh, leaders of the striking unions, are defendants.

The document, which was signed by the Registrar and dated Tuesday, January 27, 2026, stated that the application before the court sought “an Order of injunction to restrain the Defendants in the manner sought on the face of the Motion paper.”

FCT workers have not yet returned to work, despite the industrial court’s order.

On Wednesday, ZINGTIE conducted an inspection and found that the majority of schools and healthcare facilities within the Bwari Area Council remain locked.

Pupils and students of LEA Primary School, Ushafa, Government Day Secondary School Dutse Alhaji and Junior Secondary School Ushafa were instructed to leave for home as early as 8 o’clock in the morning.

He stated that the court order only required the union leaders to resume, not all of the workers.

“The order was only for Rifkatu Iortyer and Abdullahi Umar Saleh and I believe they have resumed”, he said.

Those who announced the strike have resumed – Olayinka, Wike’s media aide

In a statement made on Wednesday, Lere Olayinka, who serves as the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and New Media to the FCT Minister, indicated that individuals responsible for declaring the strike have returned to work.

He claims that employees who have not yet returned may not have received adequate information regarding the strike’s suspension.

He said, “The strike was not declared by the NUT. Those who declared the strike have resumed. They were in their offices today.

“If other people have not resumed, maybe they have not gotten the correct information. I’m sure that by tomorrow (today) they should be at work”.

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