COURT ORDERS FCTA WORKERS TO GO BACK TO WORK

By: Wisdom Acka

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria, sitting in Abuja, has granted an interlocutory injunction filed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Nyesom Wike, and the FCT Administration, compelling workers under the Joint Union Action Committee to suspend their ongoing strike and resume work.

Recall that the claimants had dragged the President of the Joint Union Action Committee, Rifkatu Iortyer, and its Secretary, Abdullahi Umar Saleh, before the court in suit number NICN/ABJ/17/2026, seeking to restrain the defendants and the workers from embarking on industrial action and picketing.

Delivering his ruling on Tuesday, Justice E.D. Subilim held that although the matter before the court amounted to a trade dispute and had met the required legal conditions, the defendants’ right to embark on industrial action was not absolute.

He ruled that workers were prohibited from participating in a strike once a dispute had been referred to the National Industrial Court, adding that where such a strike was already ongoing, it must cease pending the determination of the case.

“An order of interlocutory injunction is hereby granted, restraining the claimants and representatives…from further embarking on any industrial action against the claimant. The order shall remain in force, pending the determination of this suit,” Justice Subilim said.

The court has adjourned the matter to 23rd March, 2026, for hearing on the substantive suit.