By Ajuma Edwina Ameh and Samuel Akpan
Civil servants have expressed their displeasure as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) made good their threat to commence on an indefinite strike today, November 14, following the expiration of the deadline issued to the Federal Government.
The strike comes on the heels of the physical assault on the NLC National President, Joe Ajaero, in Imo State capital, Owerri, about two weeks ago.
He had led other NLC members in the state for a demonstration over non-payment of salaries and pensions for 44 months and violation of other labour rights.
Persecondnews reports that workers in several states have long joined the strike and several government-owned facilities have been shut down by the labour bodies, including the nation’s capital, FCT.
The Presidency had earlier criticized the nationwide strike of the NLC and TUC, arguing that it is an attempt to blackmail the government.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, in a statement on Tuesday, expressed dismay that they went ahead with the strike despite a restraining order issued last week by Justice Benedict Backwash Kanyip of the National Industrial Court.
“This decision by the NLC and TUC other than being an ego tripping move is clearly unwarranted. It is an attempt to blackmail the government by the leadership of the NLC.
LC/TUC Strike: Watch Moment Organized Labor Shut down Federal Secretariat Abuja
“We are still at a loss as to why the NLC and TUC decided to punish a whole country of over 200million people over a personal matter involving the NLC President, Mr. Joe Ajaero, whose error of judgment led to assault on him in Owerri while he was planning to incite the workers in Imo State into a needless strike,” the statement said.
The presidency also described the move by the labour unions as abuse of privilege, illegal, immoral, unjustifiable and irresponsible.
Meanwhile, the NLC has said denied any knowledge of a subsisting court order restraining it from embarking on the nationwide strike.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday morning, the NLC shared circulars by the affiliate unions who have indicated their compliance with the strike.
Some of the unions that have joined the strike include the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE), the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP), National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), the National Union of Electricity Employees, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), among others.
A visit to the Federal Secretariat Abuja by Persecondnews reporters showed a partial compliance by civil servants as some workers were seen going about their normal duties while others were outside the office premises.
The unions had directed the workers to vacate the Federal Secretariat complex by 9 a.m.
Persecondnews reports that banks in the premises opened only half day as they were also asked to shut down by the unions.
Speaking in an interview with Persecondews during the enforcement exercise at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja, the Chairman of TUC, FCT Chapter, Comrade Audu Akogu, said: “The information was passed to our members late yesterday, today there is over 70 percent compliance, by tomorrow (Wednesday) it will be a total shut down.’’
On the on “blackmailing allegation” by the FG, he said: “An Injury to one is injury to all. They want to kill our National President, should we fold out arms and be looking? We are not going on Strike because of one man, the state of the nation, the subsidy removal, government is not implementing the MoU agreed with organised labour, the only thing they implemented was the N35,000 wage award and not all MDA’s have gotten the money.
“As I am talking to you, I have not seen any court injunction, we have not seen any letter from the court, and no injunction have been sent to NLC or TUC.’’
Also speaking exclusively to Persecondnews, some civil servants expressed their displeasure over the strike as they accused the joint union of bias.
A civil servant with the Ministry of Communications, Mr. Yusuf Olumide, accused the leadership of NLC of being partisan and ignoring real issues of workers’ welfare.
‘‘This is a selfish strike. They are not paying in so many state. Like my state, Kogi State, and Benue state, workers are being owed for several months and labour hasn’t done anything about it.
“Just because he was beaten in Imo state, he wants to shut down the whole nation. When we were begging them to go on strike, they refused. Labour is being partisan. We don’t have a labour union as far as I’m concerned. Ajaero is a politician not a unionist.
‘‘We don’t want to go on strike. We at the federal level are suffering. Some of our members have not been paid salaries because they are having issues with their IPPIS verification; over 15,000 people. Labour are aware and they did not do anything about it,’’ Olumide said.
In the same vein, another civil servant with Ministry of Communications, Cecilia Ibanga, who also told Persecondnews: “Since September no salary for some federal workers, and labour did not do anything about it. They did not go to head of service to ask them why they did not pay salary, now they want us to join in their strike. We don’t want to go on strike, organised labour are partisan.’’
Checks by Persecondnews also revealed that public schools were also shut down and students asked to vacate the school premises.
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