Justice Emmanuel Subilim of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Abuja division, has ordered workers of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to suspend industrial action pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
The order followed an application filed by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, seeking to compel the striking workers under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to return to work.
The minister had dragged the President and Secretary of the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC) before the court over the industrial action. In his ruling, Justice Subilim held that once a labour dispute has been referred to the National Industrial Court, any ongoing industrial action, including a strike, must be suspended in line with the law.
The judge relied on Section 18(1)(e) of the Trade Disputes Act, which mandates suspending a strike once a dispute is referred to the court until the matter is resolved.
He warned that failure to comply with the provisions attracts sanctions, stressing that public interest in maintaining industrial peace outweighs any inconvenience that may arise from suspending the strike.
The matter was, thereafter, adjourned to March 25 for hearing.CONSEQUENTLY, Wike approved N12 billion for the payment of January salaries of FCTA workers.
He charged the striking staff to resume work or face sanctions. Wike issued the warning yesterday after the court ordered an end to the strike that had paralysed services in Abuja for more than a week.
Addressing journalists shortly after the ruling, the minister insisted that the rule of law must prevail, accusing political actors of hijacking the strike for purposes unrelated to workers’ welfare.
According to him, the FCTA resorted to legal action only after concluding that the dispute was being politicised despite sustained efforts at dialogue and mediation.
He maintained that the administration had already addressed many of the workers’ demands, describing some others as “frivolous and outside legitimate entitlements.”
Wike added: “This is a democracy, and everyone has the right to protest. But strike action should always be the last option.
“When issues are being addressed and time is required for implementation, there must be understanding and patience.” The minister disclosed that the FCTA had just approved more than N12 billion for salary payment, stressing that this alone exceeded the territory’s statutory monthly allocation, which he said averages about N10 billion and represents one per cent of federal revenue.
He explained that the shortfall underscored the administration’s reliance on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to sustain operations and fund development.
Wike said the FCT’s IGR had increased from about N9 billion on his assumption of office to over N30 billion, attributing the growth to reforms aimed at improving revenue collection.
He urged workers to acknowledge these gains, as well as institutional reforms such as the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission, appointment of permanent secretaries and creation of the office of the Head of Service.