Workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, and the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, have commenced an industrial action, shutting down official activities across Abuja over what they described as unmet demands by the Federal Government.
Our correspondent reports that as early as nine o’clock this morning, the FCTA Secretariat was under heavy security, with personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Police Force stationed at the main gate. Workers were barred from entering the premises.
The strike is expected to affect all FCTA secretariats, departments, agencies, area councils, and parastatals, effectively grounding government operations within the Federal Capital Territory.
The action followed a directive issued by the Joint Union Action Congress, JUAC, ordering workers across all cadres to withdraw their services from Monday, January 19.
In a statement signed by JUAC President, Rifkatu Iortyer, and Secretary, Abdullahi Saleh, the unions said an earlier ultimatum issued on January 7 expired without meaningful engagement from management.
They listed their grievances to include non-payment of outstanding promotion arrears, delays in promotion exercises, and the continued extension of service for retired directors and permanent secretaries, which they say is hindering career progression for serving officers.
The unions also accused the administration of failing to remit statutory deductions such as pension contributions and National Housing Fund payments, warning that this could affect the future welfare of workers.
They further expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the 2024 promotion examinations, describing the exercise as largely unsuccessful.
Efforts to reach FCTA management for comments are yet to yield results.
