FCTA workers have resumed their indefinite strike over welfare issues, defying a court order and warnings from the FCT minister.
Workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), under the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC), resumed their indefinite strike on Thursday over unresolved welfare concerns. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) observed that only a few workers were present across FCTA secretariats, departments and agencies, a sharp contrast to the heavy turnout recorded on Wednesday.
The low attendance followed a directive by JUAC instructing workers to remain at home as part of the renewed industrial action. The resumption of the strike came after the union filed an appeal against the National Industrial Court ruling of January 27, which had ordered workers to suspend the strike and adjourned the case to March 23, with the appeal pursued through JUAC’s lead counsel, Femi Falana, SAN.
Following the court ruling, the acting Head of the Civil Service of the FCTA, Mrs Nancy Nathan, had directed all workers to resume duties on Wednesday, while FCT Minister Nyesom Wike warned of consequences for any worker who failed to return to work. He also assured staff that the FCTA remained open to reasonable negotiations, noting that “the majority of the demands have been addressed”.