NLC backs FCT strike as workers protest unpaid wages, promotion arrears and pension deductions, directing full escalation of industrial action in Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has thrown its weight behind the indefinite strike by workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), citing unpaid wages, promotion arrears and unremitted pension contributions.
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The strike, organised under the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC), began on Monday and has disrupted activities across several FCTA offices in Abuja.
Workers accused the administration of failing to resolve long-standing issues, including delayed wage awards and outstanding promotion payments.
In a statement issued on Friday, NLC President Joe Ajaero said the congress reviewed a petition submitted by JUAC and concluded that FCTA workers were facing what he described as a deliberate and calculated assault on the working class.
“The case of wage abuse is clear. The illegal withholding of five months’ wage awards and promotion arrears is not an administrative oversight but a brazen denial of workers’ legitimate earnings, a direct attack on livelihoods, and a violation of the constitutional guarantee of remuneration,” Ajaero said.
He further accused the administration of economic sabotage, alleging that pension contributions and National Housing Fund deductions had not been remitted since May 2025.
According to him, the failure exposes workers to hardship in retirement and amounts to “capital accumulation by dispossession.”
FCTA officials, however, maintained that progress had been made.
The Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications, Lere Olayinka, said 10 out of the 14 demands presented by the unions had been addressed, with efforts ongoing to resolve the remaining issues.
JUAC rejected the claim, insisting that no formal agreement had been reached and that none of the issues had been fully implemented or independently verified.
The union also condemned alleged intimidation of workers, including restrictions on phone use and reported arrests, describing such actions as unconstitutional and contrary to international labour conventions.
In response, the NLC directed a full escalation of the strike, instructing all affiliate unions within the FCT to align with and intensify the industrial action.
Workers were also urged to converge at the National Industrial Court on Monday, 26 January 2026, when matters related to the dispute are expected to be heard.
The congress further mandated daily prayer and solidarity sessions from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. across designated locations in the FCT, describing them as a moral and spiritual mobilisation to sustain workers’ resolve until their demands are met.
Despite the disruption, the FCTA insisted that payment of the five months’ wage award had commenced, while allowances such as hazard and rural postings for health workers had been paid.
It added that promotion arrears approved in December 2025 were being processed alongside measures to address training, tenure and compliance with public service rules.
However, JUAC maintained that the strike would continue until all demands are fully implemented.
The NLC echoed this stance, calling on civil society groups, students and community organisations to join what it described as “a people’s struggle against an insensitive administration.”
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The congress warned that the patience of workers had been exhausted, pledging to sustain the action until what it termed the abuse of workers’ rights ends and their dignity is restored.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
