By Omeiza Ajayi, Abuja
Activities at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) secretariat in Abuja were brought to a halt on Monday as workers staged a strike over unresolved labour and welfare issues.
The action followed a directive by the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), ordering staff across all cadres to withdraw their services after an earlier ultimatum over pending demands reportedly went unaddressed.
Reacting to the shutdown, the FCTA said it had already met 10 of the 14 demands presented by workers and was addressing the remaining four through ongoing dialogue.
The Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, noted that top officials had held multiple meetings with union leaders, including sessions on Saturday and Sunday, and that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had demonstrated willingness to resolve all issues raised.
According to the FCTA, key interventions already implemented include the commencement of payment for five months’ outstanding wage awards, full settlement of 13 months’ hazard allowance and 22 months’ rural allowance owed to health workers, and approval of N286 million in outstanding promotion arrears for 724 officers across 24 Secretariats, Departments, and Agencies (SDAs).
The administration said issues regarding tenure elongation for retired directors and permanent secretaries had been resolved, while training and retraining needs were being addressed. It also dismissed claims of non-remittance of pension and National Housing Fund contributions, noting that a committee has been set up to monitor all deductions and remittances.
On promotion examinations, the FCTA stated that the union’s reported pass rate had no official backing and advised workers to await the formal release of results. The administration further noted that some workers, including members of the Law Officers Association of Nigeria, had dissociated themselves from the strike and should be allowed to perform their duties unhindered.
Despite these interventions, the unions maintained that the strike would continue until all demands were fully met. JUAC circulated a notice titled “Code Remain at Home” urging staff to stay away from work, while security operatives were deployed to maintain order and ensure non-striking employees could access their offices.
The FCTA called on unions and security agencies to engage constructively, emphasizing that most demands had already been addressed and urging workers to allow uninterrupted service delivery.
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