Workers under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have announced an indefinite strike starting Monday, January 19, 2026, citing the failure of authorities to resolve long-standing labour grievances.
The strike was declared by the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), which directed all categories of workers across the FCT to withdraw their services. The action is expected to disrupt activities across all FCTA secretariats, departments, agencies (SDAs), area councils and parastatals.
According to a notice obtained by Standarddailypress, the decision followed the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum earlier issued to FCTA management. The unions said the ultimatum was ignored, with no meaningful engagement or response from the authorities.
JUAC listed several unresolved issues driving the industrial action, including the non-payment of outstanding wage awards, unpaid promotion arrears, delayed promotions and the continued extension of tenure for retired directors and permanent secretaries.
Other grievances highlighted by the unions include the alleged non-remittance of pension and National Housing Fund (NHF) deductions, poor working conditions, staff intimidation and what they described as persistent neglect of workers’ welfare.
The unions also raised alarm over what they termed a “mass failure” in the 2024 promotion examinations, which they said affected about 77.5 per cent of candidates, further deepening frustration among staff.
In the notice, JUAC urged all FCT workers to fully comply with the strike directive until their demands are addressed, warning that the action would remain in force indefinitely.
As of the time of filing this report, the FCTA authorities had not issued any official response to the strike announcement.
