Workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), with the backing of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Monday staged a protest at the National Industrial Court in Abuja, kicking off a total and indefinite strike over unresolved labour grievances.
The action followed a directive from the NLC, which threw its full weight behind the workers, insisting the strike was justified after what it described as repeated breaches of workers’ rights by the FCTA’s management and political leadership.
The protesting workers accused the administration of neglecting long-standing welfare concerns, including unpaid promotion arrears, substandard working conditions and the absence of basic tools required to carry out their duties. They said several attempts at dialogue and engagement with the authorities had produced no meaningful outcome, leaving industrial action as their only remaining option.
At the court premises, the demonstrators carried placards bearing strong messages, some of which called for the removal of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Slogans on display included “Wike must go!!”, “Abuja no be Rivers”, “Pay promotion arrears”, “Enough is Enough” and “No working tools”.
The chants and inscriptions underscored what the workers described as growing frustration with what they termed the heavy-handed handling of labour issues by the FCTA leadership.
In a statement, the NLC said its support for the strike was based on the administration’s alleged failure to honour previous agreements and respect the rights of workers. The labour centre added that the protest would remain ongoing until the workers’ demands are fully addressed.
Security personnel were deployed around the National Industrial Court as the workers marched peacefully within the premises, singing solidarity songs throughout the demonstration.
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As at the time of filing this report, the FCTA authorities had not issued any official response to the workers’ demands.
