Abuja was brought to a standstill on Thursday as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) threw its full weight behind the ongoing indefinite strike by workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), declaring an all-out confrontation with what it described as an oppressive and insensitive administration.
In a statement signed by its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the NLC accused the FCTA management and political leadership of wage abuse, pension diversion, worker intimidation and gross violations of constitutional and international labour standards. The Congress described the strike, led by the Joint Unions Action Congress (JUAC), as a necessary and heroic response to sustained attacks on workers’ rights.
According to the NLC, the FCTA has illegally withheld five months’ wage awards and promotion arrears, describing the action as a direct assault on workers’ livelihoods. It also alleged that pension contributions and National Housing Fund (NHF) deductions have not been remitted since May 2025, branding the situation as economic sabotage against serving and retired workers.
“The failure to remit pensions condemns workers to poverty in old age. This is capital accumulation by dispossession, plain and simple,” the Congress stated.
The NLC further accused the FCTA of deploying what it termed “fascistic tactics” to silence dissent, including banning phone usage at workplaces, intimidating staff and detaining union activists.
In response, the Congress ordered an immediate escalation of the strike across the FCT, directing all affiliate unions to fully align with the action. “This struggle is now the struggle of every worker in the FCT,” it declared.
The NLC also directed workers to mobilise en masse to the National Industrial Court on Monday, January 26, 2026, when matters related to the dispute will be heard, urging them to demonstrate unity and resolve.
In an unusual move, the Congress announced compulsory daily prayer and solidarity sessions across the FCT from 8:00am to 5:00pm, describing them as spiritual and moral assemblies to sustain the struggle.
As of press time, activities across major FCTA offices and public services remained shut, intensifying tension in the nation’s capital.
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