LABOUR has threatened to ground flight operations at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos from today, if the Federal Government refuses to revert to N86.50 per litre.
Mr. Adelegan Solomon, Vice President of NLC, made this known when he addressed protesters at the MMIA yesterday.
Solomon, who is also the president of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUCPTRE), urged Nigerians to unanimously reject the hike in fuel price.
According to him, the N145 per litre announced by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) will further increase the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.
He noted that Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) were members of AUCPTRE, adding that arrangements have been perfected to ground flight operations at the airport.
President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Nasir Fagge, said Nigerians must remain united against the ruling class.
- Cross River complied with directive
Also, Cross River complied with the NLC directive. When Daily Sun went round the state and federal secretariats around 9:00am yesterday, some offices were under lock and key while a few people were seen in groups discussing the issue.
However, banks and filling stations within Calabar metropolis operated at full steam.
Addressing newsmen in Calabar, the state NLC Chairman, Mr John Ushie said after meetings between labour leaders and the Federal Government ended in deadlock on Tuesday, labour had no option than to embark on strike.
- ASUU, SSANU, ASUP join protest
Academic activities in the nation’s universities and the polytechnics were paralysed as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) joined the fuel protest.
But, it was a different story in public and private schools as the doors remained opened.
ASUU’s National President, Mr. Usman Dutse, and some chapter chairmen told Daily Sun that members in the universities and polytechnics are part of the nationwide protest.
When Daily Sun visited UNILAG yesterday academic and administrative activities were grounded as exam halls and offices were deserted by the workers.
Obafemi Awolowo University ASUU chairman, Dr. Caleb Aborishade told Daily Sun on phone that his members complied with NLC directive stating “no academic activities will take place for now. We joined NLC Osun chapter at Osogbo for the protest. The strike is in full here.’’
At the University of Benin and University of Ibadan, Dr. Anthony Monye-Emina and Dr. Deji Omole respectively, disclosed that their members have withdrawn their services as directed by the NLC and that the strike would be total until the federal government meets NLC’s demand.
Carnival in Delta, new labour union in Ebonyi
By Our Correspondents
No action yet in Bayelsa
THE strike did not take off as scheduled in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State due to communication hitches.
Though most civil servants had stopped going to work over unpaid salaries, few of them still reported for duty because there was no directive as at 8:00am for the strike to commence in the state. However around 11:00am, some union members stormed the Bayelsa State Broadcasting Corporation and chased the workers away. The situation was normal in federal ministries, departments and parastatals as most workers who had expressed readiness to join the strike were told that the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had pulled out so they would not be part of the industrial action.
- Workers in Kano shun strike
THE industrial action did not take off in Kano State as workers resumed at their respective duty posts.
Daily Sun observed that civil servants in the state were at their offices at the Audu Bako Secretariat. A similar trend was noticed at the federal secretariat, located on Katsina Road in the state capital. It was equally observed that schools, both private and public, opened while courts and hospitals in the state capital all functioned normally.
It was yet unclear if the workers in the state would eventually join the strike by today or not.
- Federal offices shut in Akwa Ibom
THE strike flopped in Akwa Ibom State.
Apart from the shutting down of the state and federal secretariats, strenuously performed by some labour leaders, there was no other impact of the strike in the state. While workers, whose offices are in the two secretariats, were denied access by the labour leaders, other set of workers, especially teachers and bankers were at their duty posts until they were harassed to go home by the NLC strike Implementation Task Force.
Daily Sun observed that the only bank which never bothered to open at all yesterday was Akwa Savings and Loans Limited, owned by Akwa Ibom State Government which has been embroiled in salary payment controversies in recent days.
- Edo govt issues counter order
IN Edo, the state government directed workers in the state public service to shun the strike. The state government warned that any worker who shuns work under the guise of strike will forfeit his or her pay.
The government, in a statement by the Head of Service, Mrs. Gladys Idahor, said: “all workers are expected to be at their duty posts. Any worker who stays away from work will forfeit his or her pay as ‘no work, no pay’ will be strictly enforced.
“All public schools and institutions are expected to remain open as school is in session.
“Heads of Departments and Parastatals are directed to keep records of workers’ attendance for further action.
“Workers in Edo State Public Service should be aware that the current strike embarked on by the NLC is illegal, as the NIC had issued a restraining order on the strike…”
- Protest turns carnival in Delta
A peaceful rally organised yesterday in Asaba, by the Delta State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliate unions turned into a carnival of sorts at the Government House gate where the unionists danced to music supplied by a hired disc jockey (DJ).
The rally signaled commencement of the indefinite strike as directed by the national body of NLC over the recent increase in the pump price.
The Federal Secretariat, housing federal ministries, departments and agencies, was shut. State-owned government institutions are also shut while some banks were seen carrying out skeletal services.
The protesters armed with placards of various inscriptions had gathered at the Ezenei junction as early as 7am and marched through the streets of Asaba, picketing offices that defied the directive before berthing at the Government House where Governor Ifeanyi Okowa sent his solidarity message through his Chief of Staff, Tam Brisibe.
Before the arrival of the governors emissary, the protesters danced the music blaring from the DJ. The famous Nigeria jagajaga by Eedris; Dem Mama by Timaya and Mr. President, lead us well by African China sent the unionists into a frenzy.
- New labour union surfaces in Ebonyi
THERE was confusion in Ebonyi State as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliate unions appeared divided over the strike.
Daily Sun gathered that the state Chairman, Mr. Ikechukwu Nwafor had declared that the strike would be total but, there was a twist yesterday, as another labour group, under the aegis of Junior Labour Union issued a counter-statement, which dissociated them from the strike.
A statement signed by the leader of the Junior Labour union, Comrade Uchenna Uguru called on Ebonyi workers to disregard an earlier call by NLC to embark on strike, and added that the reason behind the strike was not good enough.
“This is to inform the general public that we, the Junior Labour Union and all our affiliate unions will not be embarking on any strike action. We wish to use this medium to inform all our members nationwide and call on Nigerians to continue working towards developing Nigeria. Truth must be told. It is only in Nigeria that a litre of fuel is cheaper than a bottle of water and it is our duty to support the government to develop the country,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nwafor, in a swift reaction, disowned any other labour union in the state, adding that the only union authorized to issue statements on labour issues is NLC.
Schools, filling stations, govt and business offices remain open in Bauchi
RESIDENTS of Bauchi State, yesterday, carried on with their normal daily activities despite NLC’s call for a strike.
Daily Sun correspondent who went round the state capital to monitor the situation reports that schools, commercial banks, markets, filing stations and other public institutions were operating.
The NLC Chairman said the state executive of NLC met on Tuesday and directed its members to join the nationwide strike but, unfortunately, there was no compliance in Bauchi State. According to Gita Hashimu “We issued a press release and directed all our members to embark on strike starting from today (Wednesday) but they did not comply and it’s difficult to fish out those that did not join the strike because TUC had earlier back out of the strike.”
He assured that NLC leadership was making effort to ensure that members comply and join the strike today.
Partial success in Kwara
THE strike commenced in Kwara State, with ministries, government offices, schools and commercial banks closed.
The strike came despite an injunction issued on Tuesday by the National Industrial Court (NLC) in Abuja.
The Kwara State chapter of the NLC said it has set up a monitoring committee to go round and ensure compliance.
The state chairman of the NLC, Yekeen Agunbiade, told journalists yesterday that the committee would ensure member unions take part in the strike.
Daily Sun investigation in Ilorin gathered that the executives of the union in Kwara state were seen moving from ministry to ministry to drive out the staff and lock the offices.
Workers in the state at the early hours of yesterday deserted the NLC and went about their duties until the union mobilised its members and sent workers out of their offices.
Some of the workers lamented that they were been forced to leave their job because they do not want to be part of the NLC industrial action.
The union members also barricaded all the ministries to prevent movement of people into the ministries.
Mixed reactions in Ekiti, Enugu, others
OUTSIDE Lagos State, compliance with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) directive for an indefinite strike did not hit home. In some states, it was partial compliance while in others, workers, traders, banks and schools went about their normal day-to-day activities.
- Labour strike paralyses Ekiti
THE nationwide industrial action declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) paralsyed activities in Ekiti State as some officers and members of both the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) as well as those of the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) protested on the streets to express their displeasure at the hike in the pump price of fuel. The labour leaders, armed with microphones and public address system moved from one location to the other, chanting anti-government slogans as many residents joined in droves.
- Partial compliance in Enugu
THERE was partial compliance in Enugu State. Members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, who constitute the greater percentage of workers in Enugu went about their normal business as directed by the TUC. However, members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) joined their colleagues across the country to observe the strike. Comrade Nwobodo Virginus told Daily Sun that some workers who did not know about the strike came to work
- Calm in Imo but labour joined strike
IMO State capital remained calm yesterday but civil servants protested, in total disregard to an earlier directive from the state government, through the Head of Service, Mr. Calistus Ekenze, that workers should not participate in the strike. He warned that any contrary move would amount to summary dismissal from service. Similarly, all public schools were shut. Also, members of Academic Staff Union of Universities and Non Academic Staff Union of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri joined the strike.
- NLC records partial compliance
in Aba
NLC’S call for industrial action recorded partial compliance in Aba, the commercial capital of Abia State. While activities in government establishments were grounded as workers joined their colleagues across the country to observe the strike, banks and markets remained open for business.
- No show in Benue
THERE was no sign that the strike was effective in Benue State yesterday, but, the state chapter has vowed to ensure total compliance as from today until the Federal Government reverses the price of petrol to N86.50. When Daily Sun went round the state capital yesterday, socio-economic activities went on without hindrance even as both public and private schools, banks, markets and other business areas opened for commercial activities.
- Banks,schools, resume for work in Jigawa
THE action failed in Jigawa State as banks, public and private schools did not comply with the directive.
Daily Sun observed that activities and movement continued as usual with virtually all schools, banks, markets and public offices opened across the state.
It was also observed that civil servant at the state secretarial, local governments secretariat and other public offices conducted their duties and ignored the NLC order.
- Situation report from Alausa
Secretariat, Alausa
IT was business as usual at Alausa, Lagos State secretariat, the official seat of government as civil servants failed to join the strike.
Workers turned up at their duty posts as usual. The weekly meeting of the state Executive Council (Exco), which usually holds on Wednesday took place at the State House with Governor Akinwunmi Ambode presiding.
Commercial activities around the state secretariat bubbled with banks offices, stores including the popular Ikeja City Mall opened for business.
- Workers ground Ondo
WORKERS under the aegis of the NLC yesterday, halted social and economic activities in Akure. They marched round major streets in the town and also, prevented vehicular movements in major areas of the town. Most of the workers who joined the protest were members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) among others.