- Businesses, airports, hospitals, power supply affected
- Why we shut down national grid – NLC
- ASUU joined strike over unmet wage demands – Osodeke
The industrial action declared by organised Labour and the national executive of the Nigerian Labour Congress paralyzed economic and social activities across Nigeria on Monday.
Most activities across the country were shut down particularly by civil and public servants.
Most government offices like the federal and state secretariats, public schools, government hospitals and others were under lock and key.
Activities in other institutions like the courts were suspended and commercial banks within the metropolis were shut.
Students in public schools were turned back as their gates were shut but private schools opened their doors to their students.
Similarly, some private hospitals and health centers were seen attending to their patients.
A notice posted on most government offices in the state capitals by the Action Committee to affiliates of the NLC and TUC have reasons for the strike.
The notice dated June 2, 2024 partly read that the strike action follows failure “to agree on a new national minimum wage and subsequently pass it into law before the end of May, 2024.
“Reverse the hike in electricity tariff from N225kwh to 66kwh.
“Stop the apartheid categorization of Nigerian electricity consumers into bands.”
Businesses, airports, hospitals, power supply affected
While the National Assembly had stepped in at the last minute to avoid the industrial action declared on Friday, the discussions ended in a stalemate, leading to the commencement of the strike.
The industrial action affected businesses and critical services across the country including schools, hospitals, and power supply as workers complied with the Trade Union Congress and Nigeria Labour Congress order.
From River State in the South South region to Kaduna in Nigeria’s North West, the workers’ actions grounded economic activities.
Activities were halted at airports across the country including Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and Lagos.
At the Port Harcourt Airport, as early as 7:00 am, airport workers under the aegis of the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals and the National Union of Air Transport Employees blocked access into the airport for vehicles.
This left passengers stranded, forcing some of them to come down from their vehicles and trek into the airport.
According to the Chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals, Emmanuel Akagha, the passengers were still being allowed into the airport because the road leading to the airport connected some communities.
He, however, said there’s no checking-in or boarding allowed.
It was a similar situation in Lagos State as passengers at the airport; some stranded passengers were captured with luggage in hand. The aviation unions locked the gate, denying staff and passengers access to the terminal.
At the Abuja Airport, there was an unusual quietness. A few passengers were seen at one of the entrances into the terminal as doors were locked. Inside the airport terminal was empty. No workers were in sight. The airline stands were also empty.
Activities were equally paused in schools. Across the country, students who were already in school were sent back.
In Ibadan, Oyo State, students who turned up at schools were sent back by their teachers in compliance with labour’s directive.
The situation was the same in Cross River, and other states.
In Kaduna, students of the Kaduna Polytechnic were locked out of their campus by labour officials in compliance.
As early as 7 am, union officials stormed the Unguwan Rimi Campus of the school. They drove the students out of the institution and locked the gate.
Some of the students who spoke to journalists condemned the incident, asking labour to return to the negotiation table. They are worried that their academic calendar will be affected if the strike continues.
Schools in Niger State were also shut down in compliance with the call by organized labour for workers to embark on indefinite strike action.
Labour leaders in Kaduna also sealed the main gate of the National Ear Care Centre. They chased out the workers and also prevented out-patients from getting into the hospital.
A similar scenario played out in Niger State as some hospitals were under lock and key, barring workers and patients from accessing health care in the North Central state.
Early Monday, the national grid was shut down by workers, throwing the nation into a blackout.
The General Manager (Public Affairs) of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) Ndidi Mbah said the nationwide blackout was due to staff of the TCN, under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Workers, completely shutting down all power substations across the country at approximately 2:19 am on Monday, causing the national grid system to drop to zero megawatts.
In compliance with the NLC/TUC order, the National Union of Electricity Employees also shut down operations at the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company.
The Kaduna State Chairman of the TUC Abdullahi Danfulani said all affiliate unions were complying totally with the strike and won’t back down until the Federal Government does the needful.
Unionists also shut government offices and disrupted activities in some banks.
The NLC and TUC in Edo State locked up the State Secretariat in Benin City, shutting out civil servants from the complex.
The unions said even though the state government recently increased the minimum wage to N70, 000, they had to comply with the national body’s directive, maintaining that the strike was not targeted at the state.
In Imo State, NLC officials also locked out civil servants at the State Secretariat in Owerri the state capital.
Fuel stations, schools, and banks across the Calabar metropolis in Cross River also complied with the exercise.
The situation was not different in Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, Lagos, as government offices have been shut.
In Alausa, where most state government offices are located, workers were locked out, and business activities were grounded.
It was observed that the roads were unusually less busy for a Monday morning in Lagos.
The Lagos State Chairman of the NLC said the union was out to ensure compliance with the directive issued by its executives.
Courts were also closed in Lagos State.
Neighbouring Ogun State also experienced crippling economic activities.
The Federal Secretariat in Abeokuta, the state capital, was under lock and key.
At the headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission in Port Harcourt, labour leaders met some workers on the ground and ordered all non-essential staff to evacuate the premises.
Arriving at SPDC Industrial Area, Port Harcourt, the labour leaders strongly opposed partial compliance, insisting that the strike included the management.
Also, civil servants, banks, filling stations, and other Federal Government establishments in Sokoto State adhered to the directives to join the strike.
Findings by our correspondent in the state indicate that while some schools and filling stations were operational, the Federal Government College and the Kaduna Electric Distribution Company complied with the NLC directive.
A resident of the state, Aliyu Tanimu, who spoke with newsmen, applauded the commitment of the NLC and the Trade Union Congress.
Tanimu said, “I am in total support of the unions’ action.
“As you can see, I am here at KAEDCO to make some inquiries, but there is no one here as they have complied with the strike action directives.
“This development is highly impressive, considering that the government is not ready to take the necessary action. With the current economic hardship, how can N60, 000 sustain a family?
“In my opinion, anything less than a N200, 000 minimum wage for Nigerian civil servants will not solve the problem, and as such, the government needs to take appropriate measures.”
Also at the Federal Government College, students were turned back from the school entrance gate by some of the management in order to enable staff of the school to join the strike.
When contacted, the chairman and Academic Staff Union of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Professor Muhammad Almustapha, said the union just received its letter from the national body.
“I want to assure you that we are joining the strike; we just received the letter from the national headquarters, and we are having our Congress.
“All I can tell you is that, as bona fide members of the NLC, we are joining the strike action immediately after the congress, which is our tradition,” he added.
When contacted, the secretary of the NLC in the state, Hamisu Hussaini, said the labour leaders went around ensuring full compliance with the strike action.
He, however, assured journalists that the leaders will brief journalists tomorrow (Tuesday) on the state of compliance across the state.
Meanwhile, there was partial compliance at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, as senior doctors were attending to patients within the hospital.
Some of the patient’s relatives who were in the hospital were seen in different groups discussing what would be the outcome for their relatives as the strike continued.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the NLC in Kebbi State, Murtala Usman, has confirmed that there was total compliance with action in the state.
Usman, who spoke with journalists, said he led his executive members to monitor the level of compliance with the exercise, where he observed impressive cooperation.
“As you know, today is the first day, but I can tell you that the level of compliance was impressive. I am sure that by tomorrow, it will be better than this.
“The hospitals were allowed to operate skeletal operations due to some of the patients on admission before now, but I can tell you that things will improve as we go on,” he stated.
Why we shut down national grid – NLC
The Nigeria Labour Congress on Monday explained the decision of workers in the electricity sector to shut down the national grid.
In a statement made available to journalists, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, faulted the Transmission Company of Nigeria over claims that the monitoring and compliance team of NLC attacked workers manning their facilities.
The TCN had announced the complete shutdown of Nigeria’s power grid by labour unions as the strike by the labour unions began.
Announcing the shutdown of the national grid in a statement issued on Monday morning by TCN spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah, the transmission firm said the action was deliberately done by the workers.
But the NLC said Nigerian workers would not be intimidated by any form of falsehood dished out by TCN or any other agency or organisation of the government.
The NLC statement read, “The Nigeria Labour Congress categorically states that Nigerian workers will not be intimidated by the management of any organisation or government entity over our rightful decision to withdraw services through the indefinite nationwide strike that commenced earlier this morning.
“The spreading of outright falsehood to mislead the public instead of working with other stakeholders to resolve the issues raised by Nigerian workers via the NLC and TUC is not helpful in any way.”
The statement further said, “It will rather inflame the anger of the suffering masses who are already burdened by the cruel policies of the Federal Government.
“It is important that we address the press statement by the Transmission Company of Nigeria where they made false claims regarding the indefinite nationwide strike declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress.
“The Transmission Company of Nigeria should understand that the company is not the only one impacted by the massive withdrawal of service across the nation by Nigerian workers. It should therefore not make it a TCN affair, as other organisations also suffer from one breakdown in service or the other as a result of the nationwide industrial action.
“The management of TCN ought to have realised that the NLC and TUC issued a notice to the Federal Government since the beginning of May 2024 on the issues of non-completion of the National Minimum Wage negotiation exercise and passage into Law and the vexatious hike in electricity tariff. We had demanded the completion of the wage-setting process and a reversal of the hike in electricity tariff back to N66/kWh without any positive response from the government.
“One wonders whether TCN’s management needs education on the dynamics of industrial action. It is not true that we manhandled anybody in any TCN location. Maybe, TCN in its effort to scuttle the strike tried to force workers to be at work not realising the resolve of all workers to stay away. Why would the grid not go down when the workers who operate them decide to withdraw their service? That is how it works and it further demonstrates that without workers, no wheel can turn; no work can take place anywhere.
“Nigerian workers, led by the NLC and TUC, have exercised due caution and unusual patience in our engagement with our social partners, and this restraint has been grossly abused, unfortunately, which has led us to the present impasse. Trying to buck-pass instead of accepting blame and taking necessary steps to put its house in order will not allow the Transmission Company of Nigeria to make discernible progress.
“We would like the organisation to take adequate measures to ensure that it discharges its responsibilities to Nigerians, especially in the Electricity sector, instead of dissipating its energy on trying to insult Nigerian workers by its deliberate peddling of falsehood.
“We have been duly informed that the TCN management has resorted to the use of the military in its effort to intimidate and harass workers in its employ who are carrying out their lawful and democratic duties at various TCN plants around Nigeria.”
The NLC said the management of TCN would be held liable for any injury inflicted on any worker by their resort to the use of the powers of the military.
The statement added, “It is also important that we inform TCN that deploying military men to its locations is a clear abuse and insult to the military, especially in a democracy. We are sure that members of the military so misused by this deployment are not happy with the management and the authorities who have authorised the deployment.
“The NLC and TUC remain steadfast in their commitment to the emancipation of downtrodden Nigerians and will persist in the struggle for a fair and just living wage, as well as the reversal of the excessive electricity tariff hike. We call on all Nigerians to stand in solidarity with us as we demand the implementation of policies that prioritize the well-being of the people. We will not back down, and we will not give in to any blackmail, intimidation, or harassment.”
ASUU joined strike over unmet wage demands – Osodeke
The Academic Staff Union of Universities also joined the ongoing strike following the Federal Government’s failure to meet the unions’ minimum wage demand.
In a statement addressed to ASUU branch chairpersons and zonal coordinators on Monday, ASUU President Emmanuel Osodeke instructed university lecturers nationwide to participate in the strike as an affiliate of the congress.
“The NLC has declared an indefinite strike action beginning from Monday, 3rd June, 2024, due to the Government’s failure to conclude the renegotiation of minimum wage for Nigerian workers and reverse the hike in electricity tariffs.
“Our branches are hereby enjoined to join the strike action as an affiliate member of Congress. Consequently, branch chairpersons are to mobilise all members to participate in the strike action. Yours in the struggle,” Osodeke stated.
FG calls emergency meeting with labour leaders today
Meanwhile, as part of efforts to put an end to the ongoing strike by organized labour, the Federal Government, through the National Salaries, Wages, and Income Commission, has extended an invitation to the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress.
However, it remains unclear if the labour leaders will attend the meeting.
Reports indicated on Monday night that some unions have shut down their workplaces in compliance with the directive to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike.
