Court orders FCT workers to suspend strike

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria, sitting in Abuja, has ordered workers under the Joint Union Action Committee in the Federal Capital Territory to suspend their ongoing strike.

The court granted an interlocutory injunction filed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, alongside the FCT Administration, compelling the workers to halt all industrial action pending the determination of the substantive suit.

The claimants had approached the court in suit number NICN/ABJ/17/2026, seeking an order restraining the Chairman of the Joint Union Action Committee, Rifkatu Iortyer, and its Secretary, Abdullahi Umar Saleh, as well as their agents, from embarking on strike action, picketing or lockout.

Delivering his ruling on Tuesday, Justice E.D. Subilim held that although the matter before the court qualified as a trade dispute and met the required legal conditions, the right of workers to embark on industrial action was not absolute.

The judge ruled that once a trade dispute has been referred to the National Industrial Court, workers are prohibited from continuing or embarking on a strike. He added that where such industrial action is already ongoing, it must cease pending the resolution of the matter.

“An order of interlocutory injunction is hereby granted, restraining the claimants and representatives… from further embarking on any industrial action against the claimant. The order shall remain in force, pending the determination of this suit,” Justice Subilim ruled.

The court subsequently adjourned the matter to 23 March 2026 for the hearing of the substantive suit.

The ruling brings a temporary halt to the industrial action that had disrupted activities within the Federal Capital Territory, as parties await the court’s final decision on the dispute.