Business, govt activities disrupted as warning strike records compliance in Lagos, Rivers, Ebonyi, Abuja, Niger , Oyo, others

 

Stories by AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja,

Emmanuel Nlewedum, Port Harcourt

BY CLEMENT NNACHI ,Abakaliki

UFOMBA UZUEGBU, Lagos

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has applauded all Nigerian workers for the level of compliance on day one of the 2-day nationwide warning strike embarked upon yesterday.

 

The congress said the reason for the strike was fully met with the commitment demonstrated by workers across the country.

 

It said workers have the right to be served well and should fight for it in the face of oppression and neglect slammed on them by the ruling class.

 

The statement of the congress signed by the president, Joe Ajaero urged Nigerian workers to continue with more level of compliance on day-2 of the strike in order to totally drive home their points and agitations of fare treatment and good governance.

 

“It reads in part: “We want to applaud Nigerian workers through the actions of all our affiliates and State Councils for the massive support and efforts at ensuring that the first day of the nationwide warning strike took off with a resounding success across the nation.

 

“You have all demonstrated that your words and decisions will always be backed by action. This has resonated in every part of the country today and we are sure that the message has been sent to those who doubt our determination to push through with our objectives.

 

“We are glad to inform you that all of our objectives for the first day were fully met because of the high level of compliance experienced as a result of your collective efforts around the federation.

 

“Congress salutes you all for your commitment towards ensuring that the reasons for the warning strike were fulfilled at this time.

 

“We however urge you all to continue with the same zeal and determination which saw the huge success that was recorded today as we move to the second and final day of the nationwide strike to ensure a complete success of the entire exercise.

 

“While thanking all Nigerian workers and indeed the masses for their understanding as we go through this trying time, we call for more efforts of the kind you showed today and urge all of us to join hands to ensure that all loopholes observed during today’s action are plugged so that tomorrow’s action will be a total success.

 

“It is our civic duty to ensure that we are governed effectively and that those in government remain accountable to the people at all times! We are committed to that and with your continued support, our nation will surely become a better place for all of us”.

 

Meanwhile,  activities were paralysed in Abuja as most Nigerian workers working at the federal capital deserted their offices in compliance with the congress directives on the warning strike.

 

At the visit to the Federal secretariat at 12 noon, the offices in the edifice were dried as many workers were out of duties.

 

The ever crowded environment was in need of workers and other Nigerians who usually go for their day to day activities.

 

Some banks in the FCT were closed while others were operating skelecter services, just as Taxi drivers were few on the roads as passengers were scarced unlike before.

 

Though there were no regular power supply in many parts of the city, the Tuesday situation was different. There was total blackout in most areas in the city, an indication that the electricity workers complied with the directives on strike.

 

However,  a check at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja revealed that

flight schedule was not distorted. Airlines took off as planned at the airport.

 

In Ebonyi Commercial Banks operating in the State, on Tuesday shut down their services, in compliance to the Two-Days warning Strike declared by the Leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress /NLC and Trade Union Congress /TUC .

 

The Strike was declared to protest the excruciating pains inflicted on Nigerians by the government  due to  the withdrawal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit /otherwise known as Petrol.

 

Investigations by our Reporter who visited most public institutions indicated that the Strike crippled economic activities as banks and hospitals  located in the capital city Abakaliki remained under lock and key as at 10am.

 

In an interview, a  banker in one of the Commercial banks in Abakaliki who preferred anonymity, restated that their umbrella Union called National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions of Nigeria,  directed staffs to stay off from duty.

 

According to him, *this directive is imperative to get the needed attention of government, who rather than address the economic circumstances resorted to meddling into the affairs of the Congress.

 

*More than One month of  the earlier protest, the Federal Government of Nigeria, has refused to meet any of the Workers demand*

 

Other Government establishments visited where workers stayed away from duty include  Ebonyi State Judicial Complex Abakaliki,  the State Secretariat,l Library board respectively.

 

A visit to the State High Court  in the capital city, indicated that judiciary workers including lawyers who were in court to pursue different matters,  were seen stranded outside the entrance gate of the banks and the judicial complex.

 

At the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki /AE-FUTHA, few nurses and consultants were seen carrying out skeletal services as most of the administrative staff joined in the industrial action.

 

At the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) along the Awolowo Street Abakaliki, it was also observed that few of the staff of the company were also seen carrying out skeletal services especially those at the emergency section of the Distribution Company.

.NLC strike records partial compliance in Lagos

Following the call for a two-day warning strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) against excruciating mass suffering and continous economic hardship, Lagos State,today recorded partial compliance as workers in the state were seen going about their business inspite of the strike.

But bank workers, under the aegis of Association of Senior Staff of Banks,Insurance and Financial Institutions ( ASSBIFI) and their junior counterparts, NUBIFE defied the service withdrawal directive as their offices opened for business.

Electricity workers, under the aegis of National Union of Electricity Employers (NUEE) complied in full,including their maritime workers counterparts who shut down Nigeria Ports Authority, on the orders of NLC, even as the airports recorded zero compliance.

.Officials chase top government officials out of office in Niger

 

Officials of the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Niger, monitoring compliance with the two-day nationwide warning strike, on Tuesday forced top civil servants in the state who reported for work to leave their offices.

A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who monitored compliance with the strike, observed that the top civil servants flouted the directive of the unions to stay away from work.

The organised labour is demanding a better deal for civil servants and Nigerians across the country due to the current hardships occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government.

The top civil servants who were forced to leave their offices included the Accountant General of the state, Alhaji Saidu Abdullahi; Dr Joseph James, Permanent Secretary, Head of Service, Establishment Department; Dr Idris Legbo, Permanent Secretary, Tourism and Culture and Mr Ismail Bako, General Manager, Niger Urban Development Board.

Alhaji Idrees Lafene, the state NLC Chairman and his TUC counterpart, who led the monitoring team, told NAN that there was 70 per cent compliance with the strike in the state excluding commercial banks that flouted the directive by  opening for businesses.

NAN observed that some civil servants who reported to work, stayed outside the state secretariat in clusters before returning home.

Lafene expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance, stating that the state NLC was not happy with the exemption of civil servants and pensioners from the distribution of palliatives which would begin on Wednesday.

He said that the organised labour demanded inclusion of N50,000 flat rate as palliatives for all workers and retirees salaries in the state and local government areas for six months.

He said labour also demanded for the implementation of minimum pension based on N30,000 national minimum wage to retirees in the state and local government areas.

NAN also reports that places visited by organised labour included the new and old secretariats housing Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), General Hospital, Minna, House of Assembly, Chanchaga Water Works and Niger State Board of Internal Revenue.

.Outage due to warning strike – AEDC

 

The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC’) has attributed the power outage being experienced in its franchise areas to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) two-day warning strike.

The management of AEDC made this known in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.

”We are aware of the general power outage being experienced across our franchise,  this is due to enforcement  of the two-day warning strike embarked upon by the labour union.

”We apologise for any inconvenience you may be experiencing as a result of this, as we continue our engagement with key stakeholders toward minimising the impact of the strike on our customers, ”it said.

AEDC urge their customers to take necessary precautions to manage the outage effectively.

The company advised its customer to unplug sensitive electronic devices and appliances from power sources pending the restoration of power.

”We will continue to provide updates on developments regarding the impact of the strike action on our operations through our official social media handles.

”Thank you for your understanding and continued support during this challenging time. We remain committed to serve you,” it said.

.NLC Strike Witness Partial Compliance in Rivers

The two-day warning strike declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) which started on Tuesday witnessed a partial compliance from workers in Rivers State.

 

Residents of the state despite expressing their displeasure over the hardship experienced by the masses following the removal of the fuel subsidy by the federal government, recounted the effect of the warning strike by NLC.

 

The Daily Champion reports that the industrial action order did not have much effect at the Rivers State Secretariat as workers were seen going about their regular business.

 

Though the Secretariat gate and blocks were open to workers and visitors, with civil servants seen going in for work, however, the turnout of workers is significantly low compared to other workdays.

 

On the other hand, commercial activities in the city of Port Harcourt were grounded as banks, some filling stations and other commercial institutions along the ever busy Mile One Diobu axis and Ikwerre Road, Port Harcourt/Aba expressway, Waterlines, Sani Abacha, Agip, Rumuokoro and Choba areas of the state were shut down as part of the warning strike while some major roads were were empty.

 

Some residents who visited their banks for transactions were left stranded as security guards manned the gates to turn customers back.

 

The Acting National Organizing Secretary of Labour Party, Prince Favour Reuben told the Daily Champion that the warning strike was not effective across the country, especially in Rivers State because leadership of the NLC has been compromised.

 

“The Labour themselves are not serious again. They have been compromised. NLC failed to do what they would have done for long, when the country was collapsing, economy shut down under the past administration. Is it now that a new government is trying to fix things that they will react?

 

“Here in Rivers State, I don’t see any reason why they should go on strike because the governor has provided them with palliatives, beginning with the Free Subsidy Intervention Mass Transit Scheme, that is why there was no force here. Any worker that is going on strike is just doing that to obey their National leadership.”

 

Favour who acknowledged the sufferings of the people occasioned by fuel subsidy removal said, the president should be given some time to fix the challenges facing the country especially as they are putting so much efforts to ensure the refineries are functional and resumption of fuel production in the country.

 

On his part, the South-south zonal chairman of the Civil Liberty Organization, CLO, Comrade Karl Chinedu said the rights group was not convinced with the position of the NLC to embark on the warning strike.

 

Comrade Chinedu who noted that Nigerians were fully aware that the President Bola Tinubu government is “anti-masses”, wondered why NLC should always keep talking about the welfare of only workers when millions of Nigerians are dying of poverty occasioned by the hardship resulting from the policies of this government.

 

The CLO zonal chairman said the strike should focus on forcing government to fix the four refineries which have been grounded over the years thereby causing Nigerians untold hardship.

 

“What is the 2-day warning strike for? We need to address serious issues like the fuel regime, the grounded refineries among other important matters that affect the day to day lives of Nigerians. Right now, I don’t know why NLC has called for the 2-day warning strike.

 

“We are very weary of NLC. You will be surprised that after this warning strike, NLC will announce the suspension of the main strike. What are the concrete demands that NLC is discussing with the federal government? We need to embark on serious demonstration in this country to force this government to publish the names of those who benefitted from the subsidy.

 

“Nigerians want to know the beneficiaries of the subsidy regime or are they ghosts! Why has this government and the past ones not thought it right to fix the four ailing refineries and stop the fraud associated with the importation of refined crude!”

 

He noted that the timing of the ongoing warning strike by the NLC was wrong giving the judgment of the presidential election tribunal scheduled on Wednesday.

, FG appeals for 2 weeks to finalise on demands

However, the  Federal Government has appealed for a period of two weeks to finalised on organised labour demands.

 

Mr Simon Lalong said this while addressing newsmen at end of a closed door meeting with the Trade Union Congress(TUC) on Monday in Abuja.

 

Lalong said the meeting was called to avert the proposed nationwide warning strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

 

It would be recall that the NLC had said that it would embarked on a two-day nationwide warning strike from Sept. 5 to Sept. 6 over hardship faced the masses due to the removal of fuel subsidy.

 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NLC were absent at the meeting called by the minister.

 

The Federal Government had earlier appealed to NLC to suspend proposed 2-days warning nationwide strike.

 

Also, the TUC in a communique had said the need to embark on strike had not arisen but would allow conversation with government to address grey areas.

 

According to Lalong, goverbnment bis going to address those issues within the period of two weeks and come back for further discussion.

 

“Some of the issues we discussed are those that are very urgent. There are some that will require a long span of time. This was the basis of our discussion.

 

“We agreed that there should be no strike within the two-week period while we are doing our deliberations and working towards realising some of these objectives,” he said.

 

Also, Mr Festus Osifo, the President of TUC, said some of the issues requiring urgent attention included implementation of palliatives and wage award.

 

He said others are tax exemptions and allowances to public sector workers; modalities for N70 billion Small and Medium Enterprises and RTEAN crisis.

 

“In the palliatives that were rolled out we have not seen anything put in place for federal workers.

 

“We need a wage award. The palliatives rolled out by the government are not far-reaching. We believe that the government can do much more,” he said.

 

Osifo also said that the TUC leadership would continue to engage with the federal government to ensure that its demands are addressed. (NAN)