UPDATE: WORKERS DOWN TOOLS AS LABOUR BEGINS NATIONWIDE STRIKE

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As the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) launch their industrial action in protest of the increase in energy rates and the lack of agreement on a new minimum wage, striking employees have stopped working across the country.

Although the National Assembly intervened at the last minute to prevent the industrial action that was announced on Friday, the talks came to a deadlock, which allowed the strike to start.

Some employees across the nation were barred from their offices in accordance with the directive.

The acts of the workers grounded economic activity from River State in the south-south area to Kaduna in the north-west of Nigeria.

Workers affiliated with the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) barred vehicle admission to the Port Harcourt Airport as early as 7:00 a.m..

This forced passengers to come down and walk into the airport. Still, there’s a heavy security presence and no flight disruption.

The head of the Rivers State branch of the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals, Emmanuel Akagha, asserts that even though the airport road connects some towns, travelers are nevertheless allowed access. However, he stated that checking in and boarding are not allowed.

In Kaduna, students of the Kaduna Polytechnic have been locked out of their campus by labour officials in compliance with the nationwide indefinite strike. 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 Channels Television 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.

The National Ear Care Center’s main gate was likewise locked by state labor representatives. In addition to chasing the staff out, they stopped our patients from entering the hospital.

The labor union officials locked the workers outside the entrance of the State Secretariat, which houses around seven ministries in the capital of Kaduna State. There is no way to enter or exit the secretariat through the main gate, which is locked.

Bank and other financial institution operations were also hampered by labor union representatives preventing employees from entering their offices.

Additionally, the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDCO) has ceased operations due to the actions of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE).

The Kaduna State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Abdullahi Danfulani said all affiliate unions are complying totally with the strike and won’t back down until the Federal Government does the needful.

Kaduna is not the only state where workers are complying with the labour order. Members of the NLC and TUC in Edo State are also joining their colleagues across the nation. They have locked up the State Secretariat in Benin City, shutting out civil servants from the complex. The unions say 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 is not targeted at the state.

In Imo State, officials of the NLC have locked out civil servants at the State Secretariat in Owerri the state capital.

The situation is 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.

Channels Television observed that the roads were unusually less busy for a Monday morning in Lagos.

The Lagos State Chairman of the NLC says the union is out to ensure compliance with the directive issued by its directive issued by executives.

Neighbouring Ogun State is also experiencing a crippling of economic activities. The Federal Secretariat in Abeokuta, the state capital, is under lock and key. Workers stayed away from office in compliance with directives of the national leaderships of NLC and TUC.

The NLC Secretariat in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, was also deserted. Students who turned up at school were sent back by their teachers in compliance with labour’s directive.

Workers in Cross River also joined the strike. Public schools did not also operate as the teachers and other states complied with the strike.