By Bologi Muhammed Maikudi, with agency reports
[T]he Nigeria Labour Congress and its civil society allies on Wednesday carried out their threat by leading workers on an industrial action to protest the recent increase in pump price of fuel from N86.50 to N145.
The industrial action and street protests took place across the country with labour leaders and activists leading workers out on the streets.
According to reports monitored from states, there was partial compliance from workers both in private and public institutions as some reported for duties. There was however total shutdown in some states.
The negotiation between Labour and government had ended in deadlock on Tuesday as the latter threatened workers with “no wot no pay policy”.
Banks, offices open in Kano
The strike action embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, suffered a bit of setback in Kano, as banks, markets, schools and other and offices continued with their normal activities. All major markets, including Sabon Gari, Kwari Textile market, Yankaba Vegetables markets and were open by Wednesday afternoon. Academic institutions like the Kano Science and Technical University, and North West University were open for normal activities. A bank customer, Musa Sale, said he never agreed with the NLC’s position on fuel subsidy and petrol price hike. The state NLC chairman, Kabiru Ado Minjibir, said the directive to go on strike was given late and that he was still in Abuja. “We were given directives by our national office and we handed down same to our people and that is it,” he said.
Strike achieves partial success in Akwa Ibom
The industrial action called by the Nigeria Labour Congress on Wednesday was partially successful in Akwa Ibom State. The gates of the state secretariat, Idongesit Nkanga Secretariat, along Ibrahim Babangida Avenue, Uyo, remained closed as at 8am when civil servants turned up for work. The labour officials positioned at the entrance of the secretariat barred workers from entering. The state judiciary headquarters at Wellington Bassey Way, few metres away from the Akwa Ibom Government House, was completely shut down.
None of the courts sat for the day. But at the state ministry of works, almost opposite the judiciary headquarters, civil servants were going about their normal duties. Emmanuel Robinson, an ex-officio member of the NLC, Akwa Ibom State, who led the NLC team around Uyo capital city to ensure that workers stayed off their offices said that the Commissioner for Works, Ephraim Inyang, assured them that he was going to direct workers in his ministry to close their offices for the day. At the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, at Abak Road, Uyo, there was no sign of an industrial action, as doctors and other health workers went about their job without harassment.
Total shutdown in Gombe
The industrial action initiated by the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, over the increase in petrol price was successful in Gombe State, with ministries, government offices, schools and commercial banks under lock and key. The Gombe State chapter of the NLC said it has set up a monitoring committee, to go round and ensure compliance. The state chairman of the NLC, Haruna Kamara, told journalists on Wednesday that the committee would ensure member unions take part in the strike. The state chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Alhasan Yahaya, said the union had directed all media organizations in the state to join the strike. The Gombe State Media Corporation has closed, while Gombe State Marketers Association said it would not take part in the strike.
Wabba, others lead protest in Abuja
The Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, commenced its planned nationwide strike in protest of the government’s increase of petrol price. Leaders of the NLC marched on Wednesday at about 9AM from Labour House in central district of Abuja to the federal secretariat, where the president of the congress, Aliyu Wabba, addressed workers. A procession of unionists and workers, decked in t-shirts and displaying flags, is to move to the Berger Junction in Abuja, and will continue every day until the government rescinds its decision, Wabba said. All government offices, banks, schools and markets however remained open with workers at their duty posts.
Street protests all over Lagos
The industrial action took off in Lagos. But according to reports, much of the compliance was in the area of protests. Labour leaders and activists walked round the states to protest the fuel price hike while most workers reported for normal duties. The protests in Lagos had the usual carnival-like style as loud music were played to entertain protesters. The Gani Fawehinmi Park in Ojota which hosted most of the protests in 2012 was however a shadow of its old self.
Other states
In other states, normal activities continued in Bauchi, Yobe, Adamawa, Jigawa, Bayelsa and Kogi States as residents ignored the call by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to embark on strike over the increase in pump price of fuel. But the industrial action was largely successful in Plateau States where schools, banks and government offices were closed. In neighbouring Kaduna, schools, banks, offices and business were opened for business.
The NLC restricted the strike to the state secretariat along Independence Way in Kaduna. In Bauchi where some youths demonstrated on Tuesday in support of the deregulation of the downstream oil sector, labour officials did not attempt to enforce the strike. A civil servant working with the state government, Sanusi Ibrahim, said most workers were not in support of the strike. “When we were not paid our salary for over eight months, what did the NLC do? “Before the removal of subsidy, we were buying fuel at the cost of N300 per litre; in some states, even N500.
“Now the fuel is available at maximum of N145. The NLC should leave us alone,” he was quoted by the News Agency of Nigeria as saying. Contacted on telephone Wednesday for his comment, Chairman of NLC in the state, Hashimu Gitel, told NAN that he was on his way to Abuja. Normal activities were also ongoing on in Damaturu, the Yobe state capital, with banks, schools, hospitals, state and federal secretariats open for business.
In Adamawa State, normal activities went on in Yola, the capital, and other major towns as schools, banks, markets, as well as the State and Federal secretariats remained opened. Some residents said they were not convinced that the strike was the best alternative in the present circumstance. Adamu Danwanzam, the chairman of Yola Perishable Food Items Sellers Association, said his members were not in support of the strike action, according to NAN. Also speaking, the state chairman of Private School Proprietors in Adamawa, Dijatu Balla, said her members had no business with the strike action. Husaini Isa, chairman of Commercial Tricycle Association in Adamawa, also distanced his members from the strike, pointing out that for many months, his members had been buying fuel for N200 per litre, as such the new prize of N145 per litre was a relief.
At the state secretariat in Yola, most government offices were opened. Some workers openly challenged labour leaders who visited the secretariat at about 10AM. When contacted, the state NLC chairman, Dauda Maina, said he could not comment as he was still in Abuja. “I am still in Abuja where I missed my flight back due to lack of aviation fuel, but I have given mandate to my vice and other union officials to ensure compliance with the strike,” Mr. Maina said. In Dutse, Jigawa State, people went about their normal businesses.
At the State and Federal secretariats, civil servants were seen attending to their official duties. Similarly, the Plateau Radio and Television and the state-owned newspaper, the “Nigeria Standard”, located at Joseph Gwomwalk road, were also shut. Labour union leaders also locked the Plateau State Polytechnic at Hiepang, and the Jos campus, and the State High court. Most civil servants who went to work early, had returned home, while some banks that opened for business, were compelled to close.
At the Jos Main market, only a few major shops opened for business, possibly for fear of an outbreak of violence. Most residents of the volatile state, remained indoors. In Ogun State, workers took part in street protest. The protest was led by the NLC chairman of the state, Akeem Ambali, and chairman, Committee on Defence and Human Rights, Olayinka Folarin. The protesters walked through major roads, accompanied by police and other security agencies. Some commercial banks closed, while others also provided skeletal services.
While some ministries were open, workers stayed indoors. Also, some pupils returned home from school earlier than normal. At the markets and motor parks, normal activities were ongoing. In Bayelsa, civil servants shunned the strike and turned up for work. The main secretariat and offices in Yenegoa, capital of Bayelsa opened for work as civil servants reports early to work. Many of the workers in the main secretariat reported to office as early as 8am. In Lokoja, Kogi state, workers completely defied the order by Labour to sit at home as banks and other offices were open for normal activities.
