The Nigerian economy was partially paralysed on Monday following the nationwide strike embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress.
The nation’s power sector, banks, ports, hospitals, schools, government ministries, departments and agencies were all shut down following the labour unions’ strike.
The labour unions declared a strike after it failed to reach an agreement with the Federal Government on the new minimum wage.
The PUNCH reported earlier that the organised labour on Friday declared a nationwide strike, which would begin on Monday over the Federal Government’s refusal to raise the proposed minimum wage from N60,000 and reverse the Band A tariff to N65 per kilowatt-hour instead of N206/KWh.
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The President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, stated that the indefinite strike would begin by midnight on Monday.
The NLC leader, who read from a jointly prepared speech alongside his TUC counterpart, Festus Osifo, expressed what he described as “grave concern and disappointment” over the Federal Government’s failure to conclude and pass into law a new National Minimum Wage Act, and reverse the hike in electricity tariff to N65/kWh.
As the Presidency and the National Assembly failed to pacify the workers on Sunday, members of the National Union of Electricity Employees swung into action by shutting down the national grid, plunging the nation into darkness.
Some NUEE members who were on duty were reportedly forced to comply with the industrial action.
Checks by our correspondents confirmed that there was no trace of power generation on the national grid as of 8am on Monday. The distribution companies received no power allocation, except the Abuja disco which had only 10 megawatts later in the day.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria said its workers on duty were beaten and wounded by union leaders who stormed its offices to send them out.
TCN spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah, said, “At about 1:15 am this (Monday) 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 Centre 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.”
But the National President of the NUEE, Adebiyi Adeyeye, debunked the allegation, saying the union only withdrew its members in compliance with the directive of the organised labour.
“Does the TCN have evidence on that? You and I know there was a directive from the NLC and TUC to withdraw services, and not to come to work, and that’s what we did. It is a false claim if anyone claims that they came to their facility to beat them up. It is not true. Don’t come to work, that’s what we heard, and we obeyed it,” Adeyeye stated.
Grid remains shut
The NUEE said its members would not return to their duty posts until the organised labour calls off the strike.
Asked if the union was considering the impact of the grid shutdown on the economy, the NUEE boss replied, “What have we done differently? They said Nigerian workers should withdraw their services and that’s what we did. No one should see us as either saboteurs or traitors, we are not one. We love our dear country, and we want Nigeria to succeed.”
On whether the union would return to work if the Federal Government reached an agreement with labour on the minimum wage while retaining the Band A tariff hike, he retorted, “All of us are into it together. Your N10,000 cannot buy you just 500 units of electricity now.
“If the government pays the minimum wage and fails to reverse the tariff, all of us will be there to see what will happen at the end of the day. But I won’t confirm to you if we are going to take further action on it or not now. But what we are talking about now is a directive from the TUC and NLC which is crucial at this particular hour. We have to obey the leadership of the union. That’s what we are doing at the moment.”
Labour pickets banks
Members of the labour unions picketed some banks on Lagos Island on Monday, even as many banks across the country ran skeletal services.
Our correspondents observed that union leaders picketed the headquarters of the United Bank for Africa, denying entry to some employees working in the building.
The Wema Bank headquarters was also locked to the public same as some branches of FirstBank, Polaris Bank on Marina, and Broad streets in Lagos.
At the First Bank branch on Customs Street, opposite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s office in Lagos, the doors were shut and their four Automated Teller Machines were out of service.
A bank security guard revealed that the picketing by labour unions made them close the branch although they were discreetly letting in customers in batches.
Speaking with journalists at the access gate of the UBA, the General Secretary, of the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees, Sheikh Muhammed, lamented that the FG’s offer was worthless and not enough to feed dogs.
He said, “What they are offering is not enough for the breakfast of their dogs for those of them who have dogs as pets. The money that they are placing on the table and asking Nigerian workers to accept, a lot of them in government, both at the executive and legislative arms, is not even enough to pay for their pets’ food. They spend more money on their pets than they are offering as minimum wage.
“Under the current situation, a reasonable government that has come in, taken some economic steps that have now affected Nigerians cannot have that empathy to bring a reasonable and legitimate offer to the table that will not only take workers to the bus stop but to their homes and fend for their families. For these people, rather than having an open mind, that empathy, they are offering what’s not enough to feed their pets.”
He added that the unions in the oil and gas sector of the economy would comply with the labour’s directive and join the strike, leaving the filling stations empty.
“I can assure you that all the industrial unions under the NLC and TUC will comply with the strike action. This is day one and there may have been hiccups here and there, but I can assure you that NUPENG, being one of the active unions of the congress will comply. It is a matter of time. If by evening and government hasn’t responded, you will discover that beyond NLC and TUC, Nigerian masses will join this protest.
“This is day one and barely afternoon, before evening, you will find that in some of the filling stations, you will not see anyone there again,” he concluded.
Port agents stranded
Port workers including licensed customs stranded on Monday following the lockup of of the ports by members of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria in compliance with the directive of both the organised labour.
The PUNCH gathered that due to the strike, many workers and truck drivers were denied entry into the Apapa and Tincan Island ports in Lagos.
Confirming the development, the Vice President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Mr Nnadi Ugochukwu, told our correspondent that all the entry gates to Tincan Island ports were under lock and key.
“I don’t know who locked them up,” Nnadi said.
Also speaking, the former acting President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, Mr Kayode Farinto, said that there is a total shutdown at the ports.
Farinto also lamented that they were denied access to the ports.
“Nothing is working, we don’t even have access to enter the port, they didn’t allow us to access the ports. But we have been doing our documentation, we can’t do examination and delivery, that is the situation of the whole thing,” he said.
According to Farinto, development means negative for the economy.
“It means negative for the economy; it is not too good. The government should listen to their complaints. The rate of inflation is very high, the government should consider that too. The MWUN were the people that shut all the ports of Tincan and Apapa,” Farinto said.
Recall that members of the maritime union over the weekend, vowed to comply with the directive to join in the indefinite nationwide strike.
The President General of MWUN, Adewale Adeyanju, said the indefinite nationwide strike has become very imperative, “given the failure of the Federal Government and the inconclusive national minimum wage negotiation and refusal to reverse the hard-biting hike in electricity tariff”.
Healthcare workers withdraw services
Meanwhile, healthcare workers at the Lagos State Teaching Hospital withdrew their services on Monday, resulting in some patients being left without care.
Our correspondent who visited the hospital witnessed how the hospital gate was locked, preventing entry for both patients and members of staff from noon to about 4 pm.
It was also observed that the hospital’s gates across from the Conoil filling station were locked and only allowed access by foot, while the second gate at the intersection of Medical Road was accessible for both cars and pedestrians.
Also, there was a presence of some policemen from Area F at the main gate of the hospital
The punch
