Following an attack on NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and workers in Imo State, both unions had called for the action, demanding the Federal Government to bring perpetrators to justice, besides other grievances they levelled against both the state and federal government.
TUC President, Festus Osifo, on Monday, was quoted as saying: “We want the government to meet some key demands regarding the brutalisation of the NLC president. We set some conditions and those conditions were very clear without ambiguity whatsoever.
“Those people that brutalised our president must be arrested, and they must be prosecuted. We also stated that the Area Commandant of Police that led his men to carry out the brutalisation should be relieved of his duty and he should be prosecuted.”
But there is little indication that the Federal Government is ready to engage labour.Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, appeared not ready for any engagement as his office remained tight-lipped yesterday.
This came as a source at the Presidency, which craved anonymity said: “It does appear that the government will not invite labour to any meeting till kingdom come. The Federal Government thinks the issue is between Imo state and NLC. Why call a national strike because the President of the NLC was assaulted? Why not cripple Imo state where the event happened? The Federal Government has condemned the act and the Inspector General of Police has launched an inquiry into the matter.
“Why not wait till the end of that process? As it is, labour may have begun the process of its demystification. Once labour loses the potency of strikes, then labour is finished. No one will take them serious anymore. Labour is very close to extinction in Nigeria.”
The Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA) distanced itself from the strike. In a statement, CONUA, a breakaway faction of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), said TUC is yet to formally communicate to it on the industrial action.
CONUA President, ‘Niyi Sunmonu, therefore, called on members to ignore the strike and go about their duties.
“As at the moment of putting together this statement, the TUC, with whom CONUA submitted affiliation request, has not communicated this position on strike action.
“Distinguished comrades should, therefore, note that CONUA cannot be part of the strike action that is not communicated to it. In addition, the affiliation process with the TUC has not been officially established,” the statement reads.
But Prof. Tony Odiwe, the chairman of ASUU at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), confirmed that members have complied with the directive. Odiwe made the confirmation during an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ile-Ife.
Also, Ademola Junaid, the branch secretary, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) branch, said they were keying into the strike.
“The issue at hand with the national leaders of NLC and TUC that led to the attack in Imo State is just a matter of consultation, which required Ajaero’s presence. But things worked out the other way round. The injustice on our president led to the strike,” he said.
This came as the organised labour shut down the National Assembly, in compliance, yesterday. As at 1.20 p.m., striking workers had locked gates leading to the complex, forcing hundreds of legislative aides and visitors bent on gaining access to resort to scaling the fence.
Nevertheless, the strike did not bar senators and House of Representatives members from going ahead with their plenary sessions. The leadership of NLC and TUC also shut down the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.
The leaders, who arrived at the Secretariat at about 12:20 p.m., came in four branded cars filled with labour leaders. They moved to the building housing Ministries of Police Affairs, Labour and Employment, Aviation and Aerospace, Niger Delta Affairs as well as Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and drove out workers.
Speaking with The Guardian at the venue, NLC chairman, Federal Capital Territory, Stephen Khabayi, said there was no going back. He said the unions would shut down the country indefinitely until their demand for justice over the attack on Ajaero is met.
“There is nothing political about the matter. It has to do with the welfare of the workers. We want justice,” he said. On when the strike would be called off, Khabayi said, “until the national executive committee of the two labour centres meet again, which I won’t tell you when. We stand until that is done.Meanwhile, some commercial banks in Area 3 and 8 in Abuja remained open. NAN also reports that some schools stayed open and lessons were taught. Also, some workers who spoke with NAN said the strike was uncalled for. They added that people are suffering, and that the strike would only increase the hardship.
In Bauchi, workers defied the nationwide strike. Correspondents, who monitored the situation, reported that academic activities and business transactions continued in schools, hospitals and banks in the metropolis.
At Government Day Junior Secondary School, Gwallameji and Sa’adu Zungur Secondary School, Bauchi, teachers and students were seen taking lesson in classes. One Abubakar Sadiq, an instructor in the school, said they were yet to receive formal or written directives on the strike.
“We are under the state government and we are still waiting for a circular informing us to embark on the strike. We can’t just go on strike without receiving a circular to that effect, hence normal academic activities will continue in the schools. Students’ attendance is 100 per cent, just like any other day,” he said.
In Kano, however, the strike paralysed services in schools, clinics, banks and other financial institutions. NLC chairman in the state, Kabiru Inuwa, said they were working to ensure full compliance. “We are monitoring compliance as our officials are at the state secretariat to ensure workers do not resume in their offices,” he said
Flight activities went on as scheduled at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, despite the directive.When The Guardian visited the airport, aviation workers and others went about their duties as normal
General Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Ocheme Aba, said the union might not participate in the strike. He said: “None of us is joining the action immediately. But we will look at how events unfold to know if we will join the action later. But as it stands, we are not joining in the action immediately.”
Nigeria Railway Workers (NRC) however announced its decision to participate. A circulars signed by Secretary-General, Nigerian Union of Railway Workers (NURW), Segun Esan, said the corporation was aligning with the indefinite strike.
“This is a critical moment that we all must rise in strong and indivisible unison to salvage the credibility and integrity of Nigerian workers who have for long been seized in the jugular by the state and its coercive instruments,” he said.
IN Lagos, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) shut down economic activities at Nigeria’s premier seaports, Apapa and Tin-Can Island, in Lagos. Port workers prevented users from accessing their offices. Trucks were seen stranded on the access roads as they were not allowed into the port.
At the Lagos State secretariat in Alausa, there was partial compliance as workers were seen in the offices.Speaking with the NLC chairperson in Lagos, Agnes Sessi, she said members who do not comply would be reported to the national body.
Stressing that “injury to one is an injury to all”, she said the congress could not fold its hands and watch while its national president was humiliated and brutalised because he was fighting for workers. Her TUC counterpart, Gbenga Ekundayo, said every worker must comply with the joint directive. He said it was an avenue for government to address the plights of workers.
There could be fuel scarcity as workers in the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), in a notice, urged all branches to withdraw their services.
It was the same with the electricity sector, schools and the food and beverage sector. In their notices, seen by The Guardian, all workers were urged to withdraw their services until further announcement.
But Director-General of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, said labour’s ignoring of an order by National Industrial Court (NIC) portends danger to industrial relations.
While he bemoaned what happened to Ajaero in Imo State, he said shutting down the whole economy is uncalled for, due to challenges organised businesses were already going through. He said a strike at this time would not do anybody any good in the long run.
Source: Nigeria Guardian
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