Minimum Wage: Workers comply with Labour directives as strike paralyses states

…CJN, judges, lawyers lock out as judicial workers shot down courts
…Govt delay will only prolong the nationwide strike – Organised Labour
The Organised Labour has vowed to continue the warning strike if the Federal Government refuses to comply with the workers’ demand by dropping its figure for the implementation of the national minimum wage.

The development came just as workers nationwide obeyed directives of Labour while warning strike paralysed activities states nationwide including Lagos, Benue, Anambra, Bayelsa, Kano, Bauchi and FCT.

The organised unions, who spoke through the Vice President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Amechi Asugwni, while addressing workers before the mop-up demonstration, said that for the duration of the strike, they will be going round to ensure full enforcement of the action, including companies that will not adhere to the directive.

He also emphasised that labour does not expect to see any worker on duty neither should companies be operational, ‎else they will be forced out and shut down.

He said, “Nobody should be allowed to fly out of this country. We have not gone to the Airport but we will be there tomorrow (today). This strike will continue to linger until the Federal Government comply with us.

“We have never gotten wage on a platter of gold. It has always been by struggle and we will keep struggling until we win”.

The NLC Vice President however wondered why the Federal Government has refused to drop its figure just like the other 21 governors had done after the promises made by the president.

“It is unbelievable that the Federal Government has failed and bluntly refused to drop its figure on the table even after setting up the committee and the promises. All we want is for the Federal Government to bring it to the table. There is no negotiation to this, there’s no private discussions to it.

“This minimum wage we are asking of is supposed to have been reviewed before now because according to law, it is reviewed every 5 years and it was last reviewed in 2011,” he said.

He also made a call to President Muhammadu Buhari to return from the UNGA because according to him, it was not what the committee bargained for.

“This is not what we bargained for. The Federal Government is playing on our intelligence. Their refusal is an insult to the committee and we will not take it. You imagine we went to demand for workers right at the table but we were told that there is nothing for us under the Labour ministry.” he said.

Speaking also, Secretary General, Nigeria Union of Railway Workers, Comrade Segun Esan, said that the unions do not mean evil but that they are all out to start the strike and to sound a note of warning to the federal government.

He said: “We are not out for evil. It is to start the strike, sound a note of warning because we got to know that the government is not ready to do anything, so we realised that it can only be achieved by struggle.”

He, however, appealed to workers not to come to work tomorrow (today) to avoid embarrassment because the strike is going to be stronger.

“It’s either we struggle it now or we all go down and sink,” he added.

Also commenting, President, Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI), Comrade Oyinkan Olasanoye, saluted the courage of Nigerian workers for cooperating with labour on the warning strike, while clarifying the claim that the action is hinged on selfishness.

Olasanoye also noted that the unions had given the Federal Government enough time to put things in order but they did not.

She explained to some traders that the minimum wage they are clamouring on is for workers to have the ability to buy things and also to increase the nation’s GDP.

Meanwhile, PENGASSAN has assured their commitment towards the minimum wage by issuing a statement that it has concluded every necessary plan to join other unions in the general strike, while emphasising that all its members are clear on the position of the union towards ensuring that the Federal Government shows commitment to the minimum wage.

“We are to proceed on the action with immediate effect. However, those on critical and essential services are required to remain on their duty posts”.

The day one protest in Lagos started from the Lagos State Secretariat in Alausa to Ikeja while shutting down banks and companies who failed to comply with the strike.

But the strike took its toll at the third arm of government, the judiciary, as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa were on Thursday locked out of their offices by officials of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), in compliance with the indefinite strike that was declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC).

Also locked out by JUSUN officials were Chief Judges of both the Federal High Court and the FCT High Court as well as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.

Justices of the Supreme Court, Judges, lawyers and litigants were equally denied entry into any court within the FCT.

Aside the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, other places currently locked down by the protesting workers are the Federal Ministry of Justice, the National Industrial Court, the Code of Conduct Bureau & Tribunal, the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria and the National Human Rights Commission.

Meanwhile, JUSUN president, Mr. Marwan Adamu, has said that the current strike will continue till financial autonomy is achieved for the judiciary.

Speaking while addressing Judiciary correspondents at the Federal High Court headquarters complex in Abuja, Adamu said that JUSUN was compelled to down tools following the inability of the authorities to comply with a 2014 court order granting financial autonomy to the judiciary.

He said: “The strike is indefinite and we are not ready to go back until the government complies with the court judgment.

“There was a court judgment since January 13, 2014; no stay on that judgment and nobody is willing to comply with that judgment.

“If a court of competent jurisdiction delivers a judgment and the state governors who are beneficiaries of the judgment decide not to respect it, I do not think we are doing the right thing for this country.

“By the same token, state governments through their accountants-general and commissioners for finance being members of Federation Account Allocations Committee (FAAC) equally contributed to this industrial action,’’ he said

In the meantime, commercial banks within the premises of both the Court of Appeal and the Federal Ministry of Justice were equally affected as labour officials ensured that all the gates remained under lock and keys.

The Daily Times recalls that NLC had directed its members and affiliate unions to commence a nationwide strike on Thursday.

The NLC President, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, said the industrial action was necessitated by Federal Government’s refusal to reconvene the meeting of the tripartite national minimum wage committee to enable it to conclude its work.

The workers are demanding a new minimum wage of about N50,000 from the current national minimum wage of N18,000.

Wabba directed all workers and private sector at all levels across the country to comply with the down-tool order.

“All public and private institutions, offices, banks, schools, public and private business premises, including filling station, are to remain shut till further notice,” the labour leader ordered.

In compliance with the directive, JUSUN asked its members to shutdown courts nationwide to press home their demand for a new minimum wage.

In a related development, commercial activities were affected in Bauchi State as the Nigeria Labour Congress embarked on a warning strike to press home their demand for salary upward review.

One of our correspondent who went round the state capital saw workers down tool as business activities at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University and the Federal polytechnic Bauchi were grounded.

The Daily Times observed that the industrial action also led to the closure of banks, state Secretariat, State and federal high courts, tertiary institutions and Electricity distribution Company in the state.

Transport workers and traders who provide services on the campuses of the two academic institutions, lamented the negative impact of the strike embarked upon by the workers .They said that the strike was not favourable to thier businesses as very few students and lecturers came to the campuses with no academic activity going on.

Business centres where photocopies and printing works normally carried out were closed as only few shops were operating at the campus, but selling at high cost.

Mallam Shuhu Sani, an Okada rider attached to the campus, decried that business was not encouraging with the commencement of the strike as few students were left to patronise them.

Sani said: “This strike is just beginning and we have started feeling it’s effects. I only made N200 since morning compared to before where I make between N1,500 to N2,500 in a day”

“So many students and workers of this institution did not show up today and this has affected transportation business on campuse. I hope the government resolve this strike problem on time to save us from hardship”.

At the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, traders situated at the polytechnic market opened shops, but lamented very low patronage.

Mr. Haruna, who operates a business centre at outside the polytechnic, said that he had not made a single kobo throughout the day and blamed the situation to the strike by the NLC.

“I want the federal government and NLC to find a lasting solution to this strike because it is us the masses that are suffering. Now, there are no customers, how do they want us to survive. “The Federal Government and NLC should reach a compromise so that we can find our daily bread” he said.

However, normal businesses were carried out at the Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, ATAP, Bauchi as staff of the institution were seen ‎busy at their duty posts.

One of our correspondents observed that normal academic activities took place as students were seen receiving lectures at different lecture halls in the school.

A student at the polytechnic, Ishaq Yakub, said he was impressed with the decision of the polytechnics management not to take part in the ongoing nationwide strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress.

He said: “I am happy that my school didn’t go on strike, and this will not temper with the academic calendar and will enable us to graduate within the time frame”.

Yakubu thanked the Rector and the entire management of the polytechnic for considering the plight of the students by abstaining to partake in industrial action.

But the two gates to the premises of Ikeja High Court in Lagos were closed as organised labour began a nationwide strike on Thursday following the inability of the Federal Government to meet the demands for a new minimum wage.

A Correspondent of NAN observed that all courtrooms were under lock and key, lawyers, litigants and members of the public who attempted to gain entry into the premises were turned away by security men manning the premises.

Mrs. Taiwo Olatokun, the Chief Registrar of the Lagos State Judiciary, who on her arrival to the court premises, was observed to be unable to gain access to her office because the administrative building was also under lock and key.

Officials of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) were however, unavailable to answer enquiries from the media as their national union had on Wednesday directed its members to join the strike by the organised labour.

The first day of the warning strike declared by the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC), has already taken its toll on businesses, government offices, schools and banks in Umuahia and Makurdi.

All public and some private offices, including banks in Umuahia and Makurdi were on Thursday, shut down in line with the strike order by the Nigeria Labour Congress.

In most of the places in the two state capitals monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the offices were not opened for the day’s activities.

Bank customers were stranded at all the commercial banks visited, as the security guards told them the banks were not opened for business.

The ATM points were however over crowded as some of the stranded customers resorted to them for their transactions.

All the state ministries were equally shut down, and the secretariat virtually empty when our correspondent visited.

A worker, who spoke to our correspondent in Umuahia, said that they received a directive on Wednesday to join the strike.

Public schools in Umuahia were also shut down, pupils and students in various schools, including Community Primary School, and Comprehensive Secondary Umuda, who were probably not aware of the strike, were sent home.

A teacher at Central Primary School, Ugwunchara, Umuahia, told our correspondent that she came to monitor the exercise and as well inform the pupils who might not be aware of the development.

Activities were on at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, as the health workers were attending to the few patients seen at the hospital.

In Makurdi, the Benue State capital, the local government secretariat, the main entrance gate was firmly locked with fresh leaves hanging on it.

Some staff were also seen with leaves and placards with inscriptions such as:

“We Deserve Better Pay, Minimum Wage Increase A Necessity, FG, Listen To Our Pleas.”

Also at the High Court, Appeal Court and Judiciary Service Commission in Makurdi, the premises were empty as a few lawyers walked in and out of them with no sign of any administrative staff to attend to them.

NAN reports that few banks were however opened for transactions while most others complied to the ”stay at home” directives of the NLC.

Both the Urban Development Board and Chief Magistrates’ court were under lock and key, but officers of the immigration service were seen at work.

Speaking on the strike, the NLC chairman in Benue State, Comrade Godwin Anya, said the state would adhere strictly to the order from its National Body of the union.

He said it was a known fact that civil servants deserved the best and insisted that the demand for enhanced pay package was in order.

“We will ensure all offices comply with the warning strike,”he said.

NAN reports that while government establishments complied wholeheartedly with the directives of NLC, the private sector did not comply.

Union officials were seen picketing offices within and around Makurdi, the officials also disrupted the official inauguration of the Benue Micro Finance House scheduled to hold at 10a.m in Makurdi.

Banks such as Access Bank and Zenith Bank were opened while Polaris Bank, Union Bank, Ecobank, UBA, First Bank, were closed.

Also, markets such as High Level Market and Wurukum were opened.

NAN reports that the organised labour had on Wednesday, ordered total shut down warning strike across the country, following the deadlock of the meeting with the Federal Government, over minimum wage.

Meanwhile, Government workers in Okitipupa, Ondo State has downed tools in compliance with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) warning strike which began on Thursday nationwide.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NLC gave the directive after its meeting with Federal Government over the minimum wage hit deadlock.

Okitipupa Local Government Secretariat, Nigeria Postal Service, State Specialists Hospital, Ondo State University of Science and Technology, state primary and secondary schools, Customary, Magistrates and High Courts were under lock and key.

Some of the secondary school students who said they were unaware of the strike went back home disappointed as their schools were locked and keyed.

On the contrary, some private schools and banks in Okitipupa opened for business while bank customers trooped to the banking to withdraw cash.

Dr. Dipo Komolafe, the Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), told NAN on telephone that the union complied with NLC directive.

In the same vein, Mr. Olayinka Olademi, the Secretary, Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Okitipupa told NAN that the union joined the strike.

In Ibadan, Oyo State, Public primary and secondary schools also remained paralysed while students who turned up for learning went home disappointed.

Some of the schools visited include, Community High School, Mokola, Eleyele Grammar school, and Obanday Grammar school, Eleyele, Baptis high school, OKe Ado and Basorun Ogunmola high school, ring road.

Others are People’s Primary School Adeoyo ring road, St. Leo’s Primary Orita challenge, Anserudeen Secondary school 1and 2 Liberty road, and St. Louise Grammar school Mokola.

Workers in Kano State joined their counterparts in the country by complying with NLC strike as they deserted their places of work.

The main entrance of the Audu Bako Secretariat which houses most of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) was shut.

Some senior officers who attempted to go to their offices were prevented by officials of the union monitoring the situation.

Private and public schools as well as public hospitals also joined the strike.

However, markets, filling stations and some commercial banks in the state like UBA, GTBANK and Jaiz banks were opened for business.

Mr. Ado Minjibir expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance on the strike by the civil servants in the state.