The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has thrown its full weight behind the ongoing indefinite strike by workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), declaring what it described as an all-out confrontation with an “oppressive and insensitive” administration.
In a strongly worded statement signed by its President, Joe Ajaero, the NLC accused the FCTA management and its political leadership of wage abuse, pension diversion, intimidation of workers, and gross violations of both constitutional provisions and international labour standards.
The Congress described the strike, led by the Joint Unions Action Congress (JUAC), as “a necessary and heroic response” to what it called sustained and systemic attacks on workers’ rights in the nation’s capital.
According to the NLC, the FCTA has allegedly withheld five months’ wage awards and promotion arrears, an action it described as a direct assault on workers’ livelihoods.
The labour centre further alleged that pension contributions and National Housing Fund (NHF) deductions have not been remitted since May 2025, branding the situation “economic sabotage” against both serving and retired workers.
“The failure to remit pensions condemns workers to a life of poverty in old age. This is capital accumulation by dispossession, plain and simple,” the NLC stated.
The Congress also accused the FCTA of employing what it termed “fascistic tactics” to suppress dissent, including banning phone usage at workplaces, intimidating staff, and allegedly incarcerating union activists.
In response, the NLC ordered an immediate escalation of the strike across the Federal Capital Territory, directing all its affiliate unions to fully align with the action.
“This struggle is now the struggle of every worker in the FCT,” the Congress declared.
As part of its mobilisation strategy, the NLC directed workers to converge en masse at the National Industrial Court on Monday, January 26, 2026, when matters relating to the dispute are scheduled to be heard. It urged workers to fill the court premises “with the dignified presence of the working class” as a show of unity and resolve.
In an unusual move, the Congress also announced compulsory daily prayer and solidarity sessions for workers across the FCT from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., describing them as spiritual and moral assemblies aimed at sustaining the struggle.
Additionally, the NLC mandated its affiliate unions to form alliances with civil society organisations, student groups, and community activists, warning that the dispute had moved beyond labour demands to become a broader people-driven struggle.
“The patience of the working class is exhausted. Their ultimatum was and remains our ultimatum,” the NLC warned, vowing to intensify the action if the issues remain unresolved.
As of press time, activities across several FCTA offices and public services in Abuja remained grounded, heightening tension in the capital and raising concerns over the economic and administrative consequences of the escalating labour showdown.
