The Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC) of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has dismissed claims by the FCTA management that most of the demands of striking workers have been met, insisting that the ongoing industrial action remains in force.
Naijaonpoint reports that workers under the FCTA commenced an indefinite strike on Monday over what they described as the authorities’ failure to address long-standing labour and welfare issues.
Reacting to a statement by Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, which claimed that 10 out of 14 demands had been met, JUAC described the assertion as misleading.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its Secretary, Abdullahi Umar Saleh, the union said no formal agreement had been reached with the FCTA management on any of the issues presented.
“There is no formal agreement between JUAC and the FCTA management on any of the demands presented by the union,” the statement read.
JUAC specifically denied that issues such as payment of wage awards, rural allowance, 2023 promotion arrears, and compliance with public service rules had been resolved.
According to the union, such claims are “false, premature and intended to misinform the public and staff.”
The union also clarified that it has neither suspended nor relaxed the strike action.
“JUAC has not suspended, withdrawn or relaxed its position on the industrial action because none of the core demands has been conclusively implemented or verified,” the statement added.
JUAC also distanced itself from reports attributed to the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD-FCTA) suggesting that issues had been resolved.
“The statement credited to the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD-FCTA) does not represent the collective position of workers under JUAC and cannot be used to justify the false narrative that issues have been resolved,” the union said.
The union outlined several unresolved issues, including: Unpaid promotion arrears; Non-remittance of National Housing Fund (NHF) and pension deductions; Alleged illegal tenure elongation; A flawed promotion examination process; Intimidation of staff; Inadequate training opportunities; Salary portal restrictions.
JUAC also criticised attempts by the FCTA management to shift responsibility for statutory deductions to workers, describing the move as unacceptable.
“This is contrary to established public service financial regulations,” the union stated.
The union insisted that the strike action remains lawful and justified, noting that due process was followed before the action commenced.
“The ongoing strike action remains lawful, justified and in full compliance with labour laws, having followed due process after the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum,” the statement said.
JUAC urged workers to remain united and resolute while reiterating its openness to dialogue.
“JUAC remains open to genuine dialogue but will not succumb to misinformation, intimidation or divide-and-rule tactics,” it stated.