BREAKING: Medical Staff Unions, Banks, others comply with nationwide labour strike order

Affiliates of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) in Lagos State complied with the two labour unions’ decision to go on an indefinite nationwide strike on Tuesday.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, the National Executive Council meeting of labor unions convened on November 13, 2023, in Abuja, resolved to go on strike.

The decision was made in response to the Federal Government’s apparent failure to address issues impacting workers, such as the minimum wage, insecurity, corruption, and poor governance.

Furthermore, both unions had made various demands, which the government allegedly failed to address following the current crisis in Imo, which resulted in the alleged brutalization of the NLC President, Mr Joe Ajaero, and other labor union members.

Meanwhile, on November 13, the government informed both unions that going ahead with their planned strike would be considered contempt of court.

In a statement, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, said the government had acquired a restraining order from the National Industrial Court of Nigeria prohibiting the unions from going on strike.

Meanwhile, Mr Segun Esan, Secretary General of the Nigeria Union of Railway Workers, informed NAN that the union was involved in the strike and that no trains were operating as a result.

“In effect, therefore, all the workers of Nigerian Railway are duty-bound to join the nationwide strike action from zero-zero hour of Tuesday, 14th November, 2023 by staying back at home and away from their offices.

“All the offices, stations, workshops, and entire premises of the Corporation remain locked and inaccessible from zero-zero hour of Tuesday, 14th November, 2023, till otherwise directed by the Congress,” Esan said.

Also, the President, Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, Mr Oluwole Olusoji, said advice had been sent out to members on compliance.

He said that members had been advised to ensure the safeguard of lives and property from people who might be used to take undue advantage of the situation.

“We will continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds,” Olusoji said.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday morning, the NLC shared circulars by the unions, indicating their compliance with the directive.

The unions included the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE), the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, and the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP).

Others are the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), the National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees, the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN), the National Union of Electricity Employees, and the Nigeria Union of Railway Workers.