Activities across offices of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) are expected to come to a halt from Monday, January 19, 2026, following the declaration of an indefinite strike by workers.
The industrial action was announced by the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), which directed workers across all cadres to withdraw their services until further notice.
The strike affects all FCTA secretariats, departments, agencies, area councils, and parastatals operating within the Federal Capital Territory. Workers were instructed not to report to their duty posts as the unions insist that their demands have been ignored for too long.
In a notice circulated to members, JUAC explained that the decision to commence the strike followed the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum earlier issued to FCTA management.
According to the unions, the ultimatum elapsed without any concrete response or engagement from the authorities.
The unions listed several unresolved issues that led to the strike. These include the non-payment of outstanding wage awards and unpaid promotion arrears owed to workers across various departments.
They also raised concerns over delayed promotion exercises and the continued retention of retired directors and permanent secretaries beyond their statutory tenure.
JUAC further accused the authorities of failing to remit pension deductions and National Housing Fund (NHF) contributions deducted from workers’ salaries. The unions described this as a serious violation of workers’ rights and a threat to their future welfare.
Other grievances highlighted include poor working conditions in many offices, alleged intimidation of staff, and what the unions described as persistent neglect of workers’ welfare and career progression.
The unions also expressed dissatisfaction over the outcome of the 2024 promotion examinations.
According to JUAC, about 77.5 per cent of candidates failed the exercise, a situation they described as unacceptable and demoralising for the workforce.
In the notice, JUAC directed all workers to fully comply with the strike directive and remain at home until their demands are addressed by the authorities. The document was electronically signed by the JUAC Secretary.
As of the time of filing this report, the management of the Federal Capital Territory Administration had not issued any official statement in response to the strike action.