Nigeria: Minimum Wage – Labour Strike Grounds Activities Nationwide

The organised labour Monday grounded activities nationwide on the first day of its indefinite strike over the federal government’s refusal to increase the minimum wage above N60,000.

The labour is demanding N494,000 as new national minimum wage.

At the resumed negotiation meeting held in Abuja yesterday by the government and the labour unions, it was agreed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu “is committed to a National Minimum Wage that is higher than N60,000.”

According to the agreement signed by the government and the leadership of the labour unions, the tripartite committee is also to meet every day for the next one week with a view to arriving at an agreeable national minimum wage.

It was also resolved that “Labour, in deference to the high esteem of the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria’s commitment in (ii) above undertakes to convene a meeting of its organs immediately to consider this commitment; and

“No worker would be victimized as a result of the industrial action.”

The agreements were signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero and the president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo. As of the time of filing this report, it was not clear when the organised labour would meet its organs.

Earlier yesterday, activities in schools, hospitals, courts, airports, banks and government offices were crippled across the nation.

Blackout as national grid shut

The Transmission Company of Nigeria, in a statement yesterday, said the labour shut down the national grid, resulting in black out nationwide.

“At about 1:15am this morning, the Benin Transmission Operator under the Independent System Operations unit of TCN reported that all operators were driven away from the control room and that staff that resisted were beaten while some were wounded in the course of forcing them out of the control room and without any form of control or supervision, the Benin Area Control Center was brought to zero.

“Other transmission substations that were shut down, by the Labour Union include the Ganmo, Benin, Ayede, Olorunsogo, Akangba and Osogbo Transmission Substations. Some transmission lines were equally opened due to the ongoing activities of the labour union,” the TCN said.

The president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, confirmed the shutdown of the national grid to reporters in Abuja.

He said the NLC was aware that the TCN had resorted to using the military 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 and TUC remains steadfast in its 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.”

Workers shut down N/Assembly, cut off power, water supplies

Members of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) shut down the National Assembly and cut off electricity and power supplies to the complex in compliance with the strike.

Compliance across states

Students of the Kaduna Polytechnic were forced out of their lecture halls when labour union officials stormed the Unguwan Rimi Campus of the school, drove out the students and locked the school gate.

Labour leaders in the state also shut the main gate of the National Ear Care Centre and chased out the workers. They also locked the state secretariat located on Independence Way, Kaduna.

The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) also shut down operations at the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDCO).

Members of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria chased away clearing agents and shut all entrances into Apapa and Tin-Can Island Ports in Lagos; while government offices and some private institutions were also shut down.

There were cancellations of domestic flights at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as aviation workers withdrew services in compliance with the strike.

There was total compliance of the strike in Taraba State as labour leaders chased workers out of offices as they reported for duty in Jalingo. The Maiduguri airport and other public institutions were also shut down as workers complied with the strike.

Workers in the state yesterday shunned their offices, just as labour leaders picketed some banks and shut down the state secretariat.

Benin airport, banks, federal establishments, state ministries, department and agencies, filling stations owned by NNPL were also shut down.

Activities were also grounded at public offices in Bayelsa, Bauchi, Imo, Kogi, Oyo, Yobe, Nasarawa, Akwa Ibom, Kebbi, Benue, Plateau, Ondo, Ebonyi and Delta States, just as the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu and the Ahmed Bola Tinubu International Airport, Minna, Niger State and other institutions were also shut.

Pilgrims from Niger State waiting to be airlifted to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were left stranded as the airport remained shut.

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Yobe State Chapter refused to join the strike.

Labour’s action capable of heightening tension – IGP

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, said the labour’s strike was “potential catalyst for increased tension and political instability” that could lead to breakdown of law and order within the country.

Egbetokun, according to a statement by the Force spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, asked labour to return to negotiation table with the government.

Aircraft to convey Nigerian pilgrims returned to Jedda empty – MURIC

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) said the strike posed a threat to the airlifting operation of the National Hajj Commission.

The MURIC Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, in a statement, alleged that a plane sent to airlift pilgrims from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia was turned back by striking aviation workers in Nigeria.

He said the aircraft was forced to return to Jedda airport empty.

“Meanwhile, thousands of Nigerian pilgrims are now in danger while the airlift operation has already been halted. Thousands of Muslim pilgrims who have left their homes for the airports are now stranded.

“Nigerian Muslims are now asking NLC why it had to declare a national strike at a time more than 60,000 Nigerians are being airlifted. The families of these intending pilgrims are now in a high state of fear and anxiety.

“Apart from the confusion and hardship which the ongoing NLC strike constitutes to preparations being made by Muslim faithfuls for the Id al-Kabir festival, the lives of Muslim pilgrims are now under palpable threat. Is this not sabotage? Is this not intentional? Can a national union of NLC caliber say it is unaware of Muslim preparations for hajj and Salah?” Akintola said.

“This strike hits the most sensitive nerves in the anatomy of Nigerian Muslims. Call off the strike immediately or face the wrath of Nigerian Muslims nationwide.”