Most government workers in Abuja resumed work on Monday, shunning organised labour's notice of a rally against the FCT Administration (FCTA), scheduled for Tuesday.
A visit to some of the offices in the FCTA Secretariat, Area 11, the Minister's Block, Treasury Department, Federal Capital Development Authority, Abuja Geographical System, and others showed that workers were at work, carrying out their duties.
Some of the workers, who preferred to speak off the record, said they came to work in obedience to a court ruling while discussions between the administration and the unions continued.
The chairman of the FCT Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Stephen Knabayi, had issued a statement ordering all workers' unions and affiliates in the FCT to appear in their union attire for the mass protests on Tuesday, February 3.
This was to be a follow-up to the industrial action on January 9 by FCTA workers, under the Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC), protesting against owed salaries and making other demands.
The administration had taken the union to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, challenging the legality of the industrial action.
Last Tuesday, the Industrial Court in Abuja ordered the workers to suspend their strike pending further hearing.
Justice Emmanuel Subilim granted the order in a ruling on an application filed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the FCTA.
Subsequently, in a move to restore administrative order across the FCTA, the Acting Head of Service of the FCT, Nancy Sabanti Nathan, directed all permanent secretaries and heads of departments to ensure compliance with the court order by maintaining staff attendance registers.
The circular, dated January 27, instructed Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments, Parastatals, and Agencies to enforce the immediate resumption of duties by workers, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to staff welfare in the process.
