Affiliates of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) in Lagos State, on Tuesday complied with the directive of the two labour unions to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos reports that the National Executive Council meeting of the labour unions, held on Nov. 13, 2023, in Abuja, had resolved to embark on the strike.
The decision was due to the alleged failure of the Federal Government to address issues affecting workers, such as the minimum wage, insecurity, corruption, and poor governance.
Also, both unions had made some demands, which the government had allegedly failed to address following the recent crisis in Imo that resulted in the alleged brutalisation of the NLC President, Mr Joe Ajaero, and other members of the labour unions.
Meanwhile, the government on Nov. 13, warned both unions against embarking on their planned strike action, saying it would amount to contempt of court.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, in a statement, said the government had obtained a restraining order from the National Industrial Court of Nigeria barring the unions from going ahead with the strike.
Meanwhile, the Secretary General, Nigeria Union of Railway Workers, Mr Segun Esan, told NAN that the union was involved in the strike and no train was running as a result.
“In effect, therefore, all the workers of Nigerian Railway are duty-bound to join the nationwide strike action from zero-zero hour of Tuesday, 14th November, 2023 by staying back at home and away from their offices.
“All the offices, stations, workshops, and entire premises of the Corporation remain locked and inaccessible from zero-zero hour of Tuesday, 14th November, 2023, till otherwise directed by the Congress,” Esan said.
Also, the President, Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, Mr Oluwole Olusoji, said advice had been sent out to members on compliance.
He said that members had been advised to ensure the safeguard of lives and property from people who might be used to take undue advantage of the situation.
“We will continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds,” Olusoji said.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday morning, the NLC shared circulars by the unions, indicating their compliance with the directive.
The unions included the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE), the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, and the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP).
Others are the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), the National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees, the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN), the National Union of Electricity Employees, and the Nigeria Union of Railway Workers. (Pieced together from reports by NAN and Channels TV).
