‘Enough Is Enough’: FCTA Workers shut down secretariat over welfare concerns

Activities at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Secretariat were brought to a halt on Monday morning as workers commenced an indefinite industrial action over unresolved labour and welfare concerns.

The shutdown followed a directive issued by the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), which ordered workers across all departments and cadres of the administration to withdraw their services after management allegedly failed to respond to a series of long-standing demands.

In a statement dated January 8 and jointly signed by JUAC President, Rifkatu Iortyer, and Secretary, Abdullahi Saleh, the unions said an earlier ultimatum issued on January 7 expired without any meaningful engagement from the authorities.

According to JUAC, the grievances include the non-payment of outstanding promotion arrears, delays in the conduct and release of promotion exercises, and the continued extension of service for retired directors and permanent secretaries. The unions argued that the practice has stalled career progression for eligible officers within the system.

The workers also accused the administration of failing to remit statutory deductions, including pension contributions and National Housing Fund payments, warning that the situation could have serious implications for the future welfare of affected staff.

JUAC further expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the 2024 promotion examinations, describing the exercise as largely unsuccessful and alleging that many of its members were unfairly affected.

The unions insisted that the strike action would remain in force until their demands were adequately addressed.

Meanwhile, security operatives were deployed to the secretariat to maintain order, while the FCTA management had yet to issue an official response as of the time of filing this report.

Hours before the shutdown, JUAC circulated a notice titled “Code Remain at Home”, urging workers to comply fully with the directive.

“By this notice, all staff are advised to stay at home as the strike action declared by JUAC commences on Monday, January 19, 2026. Do not come to work, as the JUAC task force will be on ground to ensure full compliance,” the notice read in part.

The union leadership called on members to remain united, stressing that the action was aimed at securing improved working conditions within the FCTA.