FCT shutdown ends as Labour, Wike settle dispute

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has brokered a late-night truce with organised labour, bringing an end to the strike that paralysed parts of Abuja and paving the way for workers to return immediately.

The agreement was reached around 3:50 a.m. on Tuesday after over three hours of negotiations chaired by the Senate Committee on the FCT, led by Senator Mohammed Bomoi. Leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) were present.

Speaking to journalists, the Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Comrade Benson Upah, said the talks produced concrete assurances aimed at restoring industrial harmony.

“All complaints presented by members of the Joint Unions Action Committee were taken one after the other and fully addressed,” Upah said.

He disclosed that the resolutions included a guarantee that no worker would be punished for joining the strike, the withdrawal of all cases at the National Industrial Court, and a pledge by the Minister to sustain dialogue and mutual respect with labour unions.

Upah added that the Minister committed to continuous engagement with organised labour.

Following the agreement, workers under the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC), as well as NLC and TUC affiliates within the FCT Administration, were instructed to resume duties without delay.

“All JUAC members and all affiliates of the TUC and NLC working in the Ministry of the FCT are hereby directed to resume work immediately,” he said.

“All affiliates are enjoined to comply strictly with this directive in the interest of industrial peace and harmony and in good faith.”

The strike, triggered by unresolved labour grievances, had disrupted activities in the nation’s capital for days before the Senate Committee’s intervention eased tensions.