Manny Ita
The Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC) has formally approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja to overturn a National Industrial Court ruling that suspended their indefinite strike. Filed on the morning of January 29, 2026, the application for leave to appeal seeks to stay the execution of an interlocutory injunction recently obtained by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. The union leaders argue that the lower court’s directive violates their constitutional right to fair hearing and collective bargaining, particularly as their demands for salary arrears and pension remittances remain unaddressed.
The ongoing friction stems from a list of 14 demands, of which the FCTA claims to have addressed 10. However, JUAC insists that the most critical “life-line” issues remain unresolved. These include: (1) Pension and Housing Fund Remittances: Workers allege non-remittance of National Housing Fund (NHF) and pension contributions since May 2025, (2)Promotion Arrears: While the Minister recently approved ₦286.1 million for arrears covering 724 officers, the union claims thousands more are still owed for 2023 and 2024 cycles, (3) Wage Awards: Delays in the full payment of the five-month federal wage award, (4) Health Worker Allowances: Outstanding 13-month hazard and 22-month rural allowances for medical staff, which the administration claims were paid in December 2025 but workers dispute as incomplete.
The National Industrial Court, presided over by Justice Emmanuel Subilim, had on Tuesday, January 27, ordered the immediate suspension of the strike, citing Section 18(1)e of the Trade Dispute Act. The court held that once a matter is referred for adjudication, industrial action must cease. Justice Subilim adjourned the substantive hearing to March 23, 2026, a date the union argues is too distant to leave their grievances in “limbo.”
Minister Wike has maintained a firm stance, approving ₦12 billion for January salaries while warning that any worker who fails to resume will be treated as a “scapegoat.” “The court has called off the strike. If anybody dares to block the gate again… I will use the person as a scapegoat because you must obey the law,” Wike stated following the Tuesday ruling. With the appeal now filed, the labor leadership has directed members to remain “patient but resolute” as they seek a stay of execution on the resumption order.
