The indefinite strike by workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) entered its second day on Tuesday, with organised labour rejecting claims by the FCTA management that most of the workers’ demands have been addressed.
The industrial action, declared by the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), began on Monday following what the unions described as the failure of the authorities to adequately address longstanding labour and welfare concerns.
In a response to the strike, the FCTA, through the Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communications and social media, Mr Lere Olayinka, said 10 of the 14 demands presented by the unions had been met, while work was ongoing to resolve the remaining four.
However, JUAC, in a statement signed by its Secretary, Abdullahi Saleh, dismissed the claim, insisting that no formal agreement had been reached between the union and the FCTA on any of the issues raised.
According to the union, none of its demands has been conclusively implemented or independently verified, stressing that issues such as the payment of wage awards, rural allowances, 2023 promotion arrears and compliance with public service rules remain unresolved.
The union maintained that the strike had neither been suspended nor relaxed, urging workers across all secretariats, departments and agencies to remain united until all demands are fully implemented.
JUAC also distanced itself from statements credited to the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD-FCTA), which reportedly wrote to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike, acknowledging the payment of 13 months’ hazard allowance arrears and one month wage award.
The union said the position of the resident doctors does not reflect the collective stance of workers under its umbrella, noting that JUAC represents a broader spectrum of FCTA employees.
Among the unresolved issues listed by the union are unpaid promotion arrears, non-remittance of National Housing Fund (NHF) and pension deductions, alleged tenure elongation of directors and permanent secretaries, concerns over the conduct of promotion examinations, staff intimidation, limited training opportunities and restrictions on the salary payment portal.
JUAC also opposed what it described as attempts by the FCTA to transfer responsibility for statutory deductions to workers, arguing that such a move violates public service financial regulations.
The union said the strike followed due process, including the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum, and reiterated its openness to dialogue, provided concrete actions are taken to address the demands.
The FCTA, however, maintained that significant progress has been made. Olayinka said the FCT Minister had held several meetings with union leaders and demonstrated a willingness to resolve the outstanding issues.
He disclosed that the payment of five months’ wage award had commenced, while 13 months’ hazard allowance and 22 months’ rural allowance for health workers had been paid.
According to the administration, outstanding 2023 promotion arrears totalling more than ₦286 million, covering 724 officers across 24 Secretariats, Departments and Agencies (SDAs), were approved in December 2025 and are currently being processed for payment.
The FCTA also said concerns over tenure elongation had been addressed, with assurances that public service rules would be strictly adhered to.
On training, the administration said all SDAs had been directed to submit their training needs, while a committee comprising workers’ representatives had been constituted to address issues relating to NHF and pension deductions.
The FCTA further advised unions to await the official release of promotion examination results and noted that some unions, including the Law Officers Association of Nigeria, had dissociated themselves from the strike.
It also called on security agencies to ensure that workers who choose not to participate in the strike are allowed unhindered access to their offices.
Despite the government’s position, JUAC insisted that the strike would continue until all demands are fully implemented, maintaining that the industrial action remains justified under the circumstances.
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