From Victor Osula, Abuja
The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), sitting in Abuja, has ordered workers under the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) in the Federal Capital Territory to suspend their ongoing strike action.
The order followed an interlocutory injunction granted in favour of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the FCT Administration in a suit marked NICN/ABJ/17/2026 against the Chairman of the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC), Rifkatu Iortyer, and its Secretary, Abdullahi Umar Saleh.
Last week, workers under the aegis of the JUAC, embarked on indefinite strike over the alleged non-payment of promotion arrears and other outstanding entitlements. The crisis deepened on Monday, as the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), FCT Wing, joined the strike, ordering a total shutdown of all public primary and secondary schools in Abuja.
Delivering his ruling on Tuesday, Justice E.D. Subilim held that although the dispute met the legal requirements of a trade dispute, the right of workers to embark on industrial action was not absolute.
According to the ruling, once a dispute is referred to the National Industrial Court, workers are prohibited from continuing any strike. It added that any ongoing action must cease pending the determination of the suit.
“An order of interlocutory injunction is hereby granted, restraining the defendants and their representatives from further embarking on any industrial action against the claimants. The order shall remain in force pending the determination of this suit”, Justice Subilim stated.
The court adjourned the matter until March 23, 2026, for hearing of the substantive suit.
