As the nationwide strike embarked upon by organised labour enters its second day, the federal government has appealed to striking workers to call off the ongoing industrial action and return to the negotiation table in the country’s best interest.
Minister of information and national orientation, Mohammed Idris, who was accompanied by the minister of state for labour, Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, and the special adviser to the president on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the call at a press briefing in Abuja, yesterday.
“This is a heartfelt and deeply considered appeal to the labour unions to continue along the path of negotiations with the federal and state governments under the auspices of the Tripartite Committee that has been established to fashion out a new, realistic minimum wage for the Nigerian people.
“As government, we desire a peaceful outcome, and we will do everything to make this happen. On Yesterday, the leadership of the National Assembly met with the unions. Today, we have offered another invitation to the unions to meet with us and continue our discussions.
“We will continue to engage and continue to make ourselves readily available in the context of these negotiations on behalf of the Nigerian people,” he said.
The information minister reiterated the government’s position that Labour’s current proposal of N494,000, which translates into an annual wage bill of N9.5 trillion for the Federal Government of Nigeria alone, is unrealistic and capable of crippling the Nigerian economy by leading to massive job losses, especially in the private sector.
Idris said the federal government is responsible for striking a measured and realistic balance through collective bargaining in its effort to establish a new minimum wage for Nigerians.
According to him, the desire of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to improve the living conditions of Nigerians goes beyond an increase in minimum wage as several policies had been enacted to put more money into the pockets of Nigerians.
He said the National Consumer Credit Scheme and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) are additional significant demonstrations of President Tinubu’s determination to bring relief to the people of Nigeria.
“We want the Labour Unions to understand that the relief that Nigerians are expecting, and that they fully deserve, will not come only in the form of increased wages. It will also come as efforts are being made to reduce the cost of living, and to ensure that more money stays in the pockets of Nigerians.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is firmly committed to doing what is right, reasonable and sustainable regarding these minimum wage negotiations. We call on the labour unions to reciprocate this gesture in the nation’s interest,” he said.
Before the government’s appeal, the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), an affiliate of the NLC, had grounded activities at the National Assembly Complex on Monday in compliance with the strike directive.
PASAN members blocked the entrance to the National Assembly, while some staff and workers in organisations like banks, telecommunications, and restaurants were not allowed entrance into the complex.
The National Assembly staff union blocked the main entrance, SGF, and Villa gates with PASAN coastal buses to prevent access to the nation’s apex legislature building.
The industrial action caused the House of Representatives Committee on Finance to postpone the scheduled sitting on monitoring the revenue of the federal government’s ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
The postponement notice by the committee’s clerk, sighted by LEADERSHIP, read: “Good morning, Honourable members. I am directed to inform you that the Revenue Monitoring Exercise will not be held due to the strike by organised labour.”
“In compliance with the indefinite national strike declared by NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) on Monday shut down activities at the FCT Secretariat, preventing staff of the territory from entering into the premises of the secretariat.
Cars were parked outside the FCT secretariat’s gate, while stranded staff stood helplessly outside the gates. Only security personnel were allowed into the premises.
President of FCT JUAC, Mrs Rifkatu lortyer, while speaking on the strike, said that they had to enforce the strike in the secretariat because it was a directive from the NLC and TUC.
“You know that this has been a long-time struggle concerning this minimum wage, and then the electricity tariff came and added to it. Till now, the government and labour unions have not reached a compromise on what to pay the least staff as minimum wage.
“So, since the national bodies of the two labour groups have declared the indefinite strike, the FCT is part of it; as an affiliate body of them, we have to enforce it.
“As of yesterday, when they had a meeting with the National Assembly, the TUC president said they were almost giving in, but they had to go back to their NEC to see if it is what they will take from the government,” she said.
Passengers, Vessels Stranded At Airports, Seaports
Economic and commercial activities were paralysed at seaports across the country as the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) joined the nationwide strike declared by the NLC and TUC.
The indefinite strike that began yesterday was in protest of the federal government’s failure to conclude on the national minimum wage and refusal to reverse the new electricity tariff.
It was gathered that commercial activities at the ports were at a standstill, with the Apapa and Tin-Can Island port gates locked.
Port users were also prevented from accessing their offices, thereby causing disruptions to the supply chain.
Speaking to newsmen, the president of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Branch of MWUN, Comrade Ifeanyi Mazeli, confirmed that the ports were grounded in compliance with the NLC directive and would remain so until the strike is called off.
Also, Comrade Ibrahim Ohize, president of the Dockworkers branch of MWUN, said vessels were not allowed to berth, and trucks were not permitted to enter or leave the port.
“The strike is ongoing, and it is indefinite, affecting all ports in the country, including Warri, Port Harcourt and Onne.
“We are standing solidly behind the NLC, and we will not back down until our demands are met,” he said.
A truck owner, Yusuf Liadi, also confirmed to LEADERSHIP that cargo-laden trucks and trucks returning empty containers could not access or exit the Lagos Port.
According to Liadi, importers’ cargo is trapped at the port gate while drivers have parked the trucks till when the gate is opened for them to access and exit the Lagos port.
“Our trucks are currently trapped at the Lagos seaports. No truck can exit or access the port because the maritime labour unions shut down the port over the NLC directive. Our drivers have been asked to park and watch the situation, but I hope this can be sorted in good time to forestall port congestion,” Liadi stated.
A clearing agent, Ikechukwu Anaba, said that importers will incur demurrage from shipping companies, and storage charges from terminal operators.
According to him, Customs revenue will nosedive as clearing agents won’t be able to capture their cargoes due to the strike.
He said, “There are already cleared cargoes at the ports, but no single truck exited or accessed the port on Monday.”
However, Anaba, advised the labour unions to allow already cleared cargoes to exit the port because importers will accrue more demurrage and shipping charges, which is also detrimental to the already fragile economy.
Airlines Suspend Operations As Aviation Unions Shut Airports
Local airline operators have shut down operations indefinitely over the ongoing strike action embarked upon by the unions in the nation’s aviation sector.
The unions are the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSAN), the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE).
The unions said Nigerian local airports will be shut by 00:00hrs on Monday, June 3rd, 2024 while strike at international airports commences on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
However, air passengers are currently stranded at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, as labour unions. With the shutdown, passengers cannot board their flight to their respective destinations.
A visit to the airport showed that the gates of the airports were under lock and key, thereby, making it impossible for flight operations to take place.
A stranded passenger, Kolade Ololade, expressed his frustration about the situation, saying his schedule had been disrupted.
According to him, he was aware of the strike but didn’t anticipate its impact. “I could have gone by road for less but for fear of insecurity and bad state of the roads,” he stated.
A female traveller, Ikechukwu Favour, rued the impact of the disruption on her business.
Favour, an Abuja-bound passenger, was also worried about her luggage and other perishable items she was taking to her destination.
“This is so unreal. I don’t know what to do next. Whether to drag this luggage back and wait it out but my perishable items is another headache. Now, I will start the airline issue for refund or rescheduling,” she stated.
Meanwhile, local airline operators have notified their stranded customers that they will shut down operations until further notice.
For instance, Ibom Air suspended its flight operations until further notice.
The airline stated that they are unable to dispatch any of their scheduled flights to their various destinations.
“Ibom Air regrets to inform our esteemed passengers that due to the ongoing nationwide labour strike, we cannot dispatch any of our scheduled flights to your various destinations.
“Our passengers’ and staff’s safety and well-being remain our highest priority. Consequently, our flight operations have been suspended until further notice. We regret the inconvenience we know this situation has caused and sincerely apologise. Please be assured that we are fully committed to resuming normal operations once the strike is called off. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this period.”
Also, in its travel advisory to its customers, Arik Air said affected Customers had the option of rebooking/rescheduling the flights at no additional cost.
“Customers whose flights may have been affected by the NLC action will have the option of rebooking/rescheduling the flights at no additional cost.
“Due to the national strike called by the NLC and TUC, which took effect on Monday, June 3, 2024, our flight operations have been disrupted across the country.
“We therefore appeal to all our valued customers to please bear with us as their flights may be delayed or cancelled due to the strike action. We will continue to monitor the situation and give updates as events unfold.
“Customers whose flights may have been affected by the NLC action will have the option of rebooking/rescheduling the flights at no additional cost.”
United Nigeria Airlines also stated that none of its scheduled flights had been permitted to depart the airport, significantly affecting their services and operations.
“We sincerely apologise for any inconveniences this may cause to your travel plans. Please rest assured that we are actively monitoring the situation to evaluate its impact on our operations and will provide updates accordingly,” United Nigeria Airlines stated.
Patients Evacuated As Hospitals Provide Skeletal Services
Meanwhile, hospitals in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) provided skeletal services as nurses and other health workers joined the strike.
When our correspondent visited the National Hospital Abuja, it was learnt that only the medical doctors were fully on the ground as they are not part of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC)
The ever-busy hospital looked almost deserted hours after the strike commenced, with few workers and patients seen around the wards, including the emergency ward.
However, the hospital’s spokesperson, Dr Tayo Haastrup, said the hospital was still rendering services, especially to emergency patients.
He said that even though nurses had joined the strike, senior nurses were still around.
“You know, when you become an assistant director as a nurse, you cannot just join the strike. Those are helping out to do one or two thongs.
“The strike has started, but we are still rendering services at the National Hospital, Abuja. The nurses have joined the strike, but the management is proactively resolving that we would give emergency services. We will do our best to ensure that emergency services are rendered.
“I’m sure we will be running skeletal services by tomorrow. Also, we have nurses on internship who are helping out.”
The chairman of the National Hospital Abuja chapter of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Joseph Awujah Akpi, while confirming that nurses in the hospital had joined the strike, said though it is painful and regrettable, there is just nothing else that they could do.
He said, “We have received the order from our national body to comply; we just had to comply with the instructions. Though we know it will cause a lot of inconvenience to so many people, we cannot act otherwise.”
Workers Shun Offices, Banks, Schools In States
Members of the National Labour Congress (NLC) in Kano joined their counterparts across the country in the nationwide strike declared by the national body over the new minimum wage and hike in the electricity tariff.
Aviation unions at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport joined the strike, stranding passengers on domestic flights.
The Union converged on the airport entrance on Monday morning. A source who doesn’t want his name mentioned in print said only those travelling on holy pilgrimage were given access.
LEADERSHIP also observed that public schools and organisations complied with the strike while private schools are in full operation, with some banks running skeletal services.
In an interview with LEADERSHIP, Ibrahim Maikarfi, chairman of the NLC Enforcement Committee in the state, said compliance in Kano is about 80 per cent, with most public organisations shut down.
He explained that hospitals and a few organisations didn’t comply completely because of a communication barrier, but by Tuesday, they will be 100 per cent compliant.
Our correspondent’s check at the Audu Bako secretariat and Gidan Murtala, where most of the state ministries are located, shows that the NLC directives were adhered to, even though the gates were locked.
In Kaduna, in compliance with the strike embarked upon by the NLC, grounded a lot of activities within the metropolis, and banks were not working.
At Kaduna Polytechnic, labour officials locked students out of their campus in compliance with the nationwide indefinite strike. The union officials stormed the Unguwan Rimi Campus of the school and drove the students out.
Some of the students who spoke to our correspondent condemned the strike, saying they would always be at the losing end. They urged labour to return to the negotiation table because their academic calendar would be affected if the strike continued.
Similarly, Labour leaders in the state also sealed the main gate of the National Ear Care Centre after chasing out the workers. They also prevented outpatients from getting into the hospital.
At the State Secretariat in the Kaduna State capital where about seven ministries are located, the labour union leaders locked workers out of the gate.
Activities in banks and other financial institutions were also disrupted as the staff were not allowed to get into their offices by the labour officials.
The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has also shut down operations at the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDCO).
Also, the Obasanjo House, which houses some state and federal agencies, was put under lock and key, as staff were all locked outside.
A visit to a state-owned hospital saw patients being attended to at the time of the visit.
Similarly, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Kaduna State University chapter, joined the nationwide strike. All three entrance gates were locked, and staff and students were prohibited.
One of the KASU heads of department who did not want his name in the print said, “Many lecturers came to work this morning but were sent away. We (HoDs) do still hang around the university area for any emergency that the management’s top officials may need our attention. Lecturers have gone home since,” he said.
in Niger State, workers complied with the indefinite nationwide strike with Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport shut down amid the airlift of pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
The organised labour enforcement team led by the Trade Unions Congress state chairman Ibrahim Gana had, as early as 8am, locked up strategic offices, including the airport, state secretariat, State House of Assembly complex and the state Judiciary Complex
Apart from the enforcement team, the strike in Niger state witnessed high mobilisation as workers hung around the gates to ensure full compliance.
At the state House of Assembly complex, the state chapter of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) forced members of the assembly to stay off the complex
LEADERSHIP observed that, unlike the previous exercise, even the senior government officials were not allowed into the complexes, as the compliance level, especially at Lafene Secretariat, Old Secretariat and the Assembly complex, was higher than any other strike in recent times in the state
Also, at the Federal Secretariat along Dusten Kura Road in Minna, the complex was empty as all categories of workers were absent.
Speaking on compliance, Comrade Gana said there was 100 per cent compliance in Niger state, insisting that the labour was merely asking for a living wage.
Asked whether labour would shift ground on the locking of the Airport due to the airlift of pilgrims, he said it is a national strike; hence, the state is merely complying and will shift ground based on the directive of the National Headquarters of the organised labour.
On Monday, workers at the federal and state secretariats and teachers in public primary and secondary schools across Ogun State complied with the indefinite strike called by the national leadership of organised labour.
Activities at both federal and state High courts, as well as those at magistrate courts across Ogun, were shut down. Commercial banking activities, which opened to customers, closed shop at about 9:30 am. when it became obvious that the strike would hold.
