The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), sitting in Abuja, has ordered workers under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to immediately suspend their ongoing strike and return to work.

The ruling was delivered by Justice Emmanuel Subilim, who held that the industrial action amounted to a resort to self-help, as the issues in dispute are already before the court for adjudication.

According to the judge, while workers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have a constitutional right to embark on strike actions, such rights are not absolute and must be exercised within the limits of the law.

Court Cites Trade Dispute Act

In his ruling, Justice Subilim referenced Section 18(1)(b) of the Trade Dispute Act, which expressly prohibits workers from embarking on a strike over matters that have been formally referred to the National Industrial Court.

The court emphasized that once a trade dispute is pending before the NICN, any ongoing or planned industrial action related to that dispute must cease immediately.

Justice Subilim further held that where a strike has already commenced before judicial proceedings conclude, the law mandates that such action be suspended until the court reaches a final determination.

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Strike Must End Immediately, Court Rules

Consequently, the court ordered the striking FCT workers to call off the industrial action without delay and resume their official duties across all departments and agencies under the FCTA.

The suit was filed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, alongside the Federal Capital Territory Administration, challenging the legality of the ongoing strike.

Parties Involved in the Case

Named as defendants in the case, marked NICN/ABJ/17/2026, are the President and Secretary of the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), Rifkatu Iortyer and Abdullahi Saleh, respectively.

The unions had initiated the strike over what they described as long-standing and unresolved welfare concerns affecting FCT workers.

Workers Cite Welfare Issues

The protesting workers listed several grievances, including:

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  A backlog of five months of unpaid salaries

  
  
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  Outstanding promotion arrears

  
  
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  Poor working conditions across various FCTA offices

  
  

Despite acknowledging the legitimacy of labour grievances, the court maintained that lawful procedures must be followed and that industrial actions cannot override ongoing judicial processes.

What Happens Next

With the court order now in effect, all FCTA workers are legally required to return to work while the substantive issues surrounding their welfare claims continue to be addressed through the judicial process.

Failure to comply with the ruling may expose the unions and affected workers to legal consequences.