Labour, Wike reaches truce after marathon talks, FCT Workers resume duties

Organised labour and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, have resolved their dispute following a marathon meeting that ended the industrial tension which disrupted activities in Abuja in recent days.

The truce was reached after a closed-door meeting convened by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Mohammed Bomoi, which lasted for more than three hours and stretched into the early hours of Tuesday.

Sources at the meeting disclosed that proceedings initially degenerated into a heated exchange among key actors, with raised voices and sharp disagreements, before calm was restored after the intervention of the lawmaker.

The meeting, which commenced shortly before 12 midnight, ended at about 3:50am. Present were the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, and his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Festus Osifo, alongside other labour leaders and stakeholders.

The resolution followed the insistence by organised labour on Monday that it would proceed with a mass protest to press home the demands of workers under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

Earlier, the FCT Police Command had advised labour unions to reschedule the protest in the interest of public safety, while Wike had secured an interim court order restraining both the NLC and TUC from embarking on the action.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Mr Benson Upah, said both parties agreed that no worker would be victimised as a result of the strike action.

Upah, who spoke alongside the TUC General Secretary, Nuhu Toro, disclosed that all pending cases relating to the dispute at the National Industrial Court (NIC) would be withdrawn immediately.

According to him, all complaints raised by members of the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) were tabled and comprehensively addressed during the meeting.

“The Honourable Minister assured organised labour of mutual respect and sustained engagement going forward,” Upah said.

He further announced that workers in the FCT had been directed to resume duties immediately, in the interest of industrial harmony.

“Consequently, all JUAC members and all affiliates of the TUC and NLC working in the Ministry of the FCT are hereby directed to resume work immediately,” he stated.

“All affiliates are enjoined to comply strictly with this directive in good faith, in the interest of industrial peace and harmony.”

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