Total Compliance Across States As Strike Grounds Economic Activities

Government and other public activities were shut down in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital as workers across all sectors of the economy joined the nationwide NLC, TUC new minimum wage industrial action declared by Organised labour.

As early as 8am in the morning, some labour officials stormed the state secretariat complex, Ovom, to lock the gate and turn back some uninformed workers who went to work.

Though public schools were shut, students writing the West African Examination Council, WAEC, examination were not affected as they went ahead without any interference, it was however observed that some private schools were in session across Yenagoa just as several others were on mid term break.

While the strike recorded total compliance in the banking sector, leaving several customers stranded, the various markets in Yenagoa were opened for business.

There was also heavy security presence led by the Nigeria Police Force and men of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps around the State Secretariat Complex.

NLC and TUC leaders and officials of affiliate labour leaders were stationed in key government offices, establishments and parastatals to enforce full compliance.

However, the state TUC chairman, Comrade Julius Laye who spoke with Vanguard in Yenagoa expressed delight over what he described as total compliance in the state.

He said: “The compliance level is total here. If you go to the Nigerian Content and Development Monitoring Board, the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Federal and State Secretariat they were under lock and key. The banks are also complying with the strike directive.”

Vanguard News

Strike: Fed, State secretariats, banks, schools, others shut in A’Ibom

ORGANISED Labour came out early to ensure compliance as both federal and state secretariats, public schools, banks and other businesses were shut as the indefinite strike declared by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) over disagreement with federal government on new Minimum Wage commenced Monday.

Vanguard monitoring team observed that commercial banks located along Ikot Ekpene Road, Abak Roads and Udo Udoma Avenue which host a number of financial institutions within Uyo capital city were under lock and key.

Federal workers at the Federal Secretariat along Abak Road and their state counterparts at the Idongesit Nkanga Secretariat thronged out as early as 7:00am to picket both complexes, disrupting movement in and out.

A female civil servant who works at Itu Local Government Secretariat told Vanguard she left Uyo early for work but met the council secretariat gate locked, saying “I had to return to Uyo. I didn’t know the strike is going to be serious”.

However among private schools within the state capital, some did not comply with the NLC directive as their students and pupils were seen out for school with the notion that they were not alerted to stay home as a result of the strike.

Source:- Vanguard