FCTA secretariat shut as workers down tools over unresolved welfare issues

By Johnson Ike

Activities at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Secretariat were brought to a standstill on Monday morning as workers commenced an indefinite strike to protest unresolved labour and welfare concerns.

The industrial action followed a directive by the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), which ordered staff across all cadres of the FCTA to withdraw their services beginning Monday, January 19, 2026, citing the authorities’ alleged failure to address long-standing demands.

In a statement dated January 8 and signed by JUAC President, Rifkatu Iortyer, and Secretary, Abdullahi Saleh, the unions said an ultimatum issued on January 7 had expired without any meaningful engagement from management.

The workers listed several grievances, including the non-payment of outstanding promotion arrears and delays in the conduct and release of promotion exercises.

They also criticised the continued extension of service for retired directors and permanent secretaries, a practice they said was stalling career progression for serving officers.

JUAC further accused the administration of failing to remit statutory deductions such as pension contributions and National Housing Fund payments, warning that the lapses could threaten the future welfare of affected staff.

The unions also expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the 2024 promotion examinations, describing the exercise as largely unsuccessful and alleging that many of their members were unfairly affected.

Maintaining a hardline stance, JUAC declared that the strike would continue until all its demands were adequately addressed by the FCTA authorities.

Ahead of the industrial action, the unions circulated a notice titled “Code Remain at Home,” urging workers to stay away from work and ensure total compliance. The notice warned that a JUAC task force would be deployed to monitor adherence to the directive.

Security operatives were deployed to the secretariat to maintain order, while the FCTA management had yet to officially respond to the development as of the time of filing this report.