As organised labour is set to commence its nationwide strike on Monday, June 3 over the new minimum wage, there are strong indications that there will be flight operation disruption, fuel scarcity as well as darkness across the country as labour takes centre stage.
Sunday Telegraph reports that the organised labour under the aegis of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) which is demanding N494,000 as the new national minimum wage, has started mobilising its affiliate bodies and members across the country for the planned strike.
Workers in the aviation and electricity sectors as well as their counterparts in the oil and gas sector have been mobilised by their respective associations to join the strike.
It would be recalled that NLC and TUC had, on Friday, declared an indefinite strike over the federal government’s refusal to increase the minimum wage above N60,000.
The General Secretary of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Ocheme Aba, confirmed to Daily Trust yesterday that the union would participate in the strike.
He said: “Definitely, we would be part of it (the strike) but exactly how it would happen, I cannot say. We’re meeting tomorrow (today), but definitely we would be part of it.”
Also, the Deputy General Secretary of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Francis Akinjole, said the association will meet today to decide on the appropriate action to take.
The General Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Afolabi Olawale, in a statement yesterday, said the union was committed to ensuring total compliance with the directive.
Afolabi said the union was concerned and disturbed by the alleged insensitive attitude of the federal government “to the very critical issue of negotiating a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
“This is in view of the various socio-economic policies of this administration that have impoverished the working people of this country.
“Leaders of our great union at all levels, from the units, zones and branches, should immediately put all processes in place to ensure total compliance with this directive”, he said.
In a chat with one of our correspondents yesterday, the General Secretary of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Lumumba Okugbawa, also said the association will join the strike.
Similarly, the Acting General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Dominic Igwebike, in a statement issued yesterday said the union was mobilising its members for the strike.
He said aside from the inconclusive negotiations on the minimum wage and electricity tariff hike, the apartheid categorisation of Nigeria’s electricity consumers into bands was another reason for the decision to embark on the strike.
“Given the above, all national, state, and chapter executives are requested to start the mobilisation of our members in total compliance with this directive to ensure the government does the right thing as stated above. The withdrawal of services becomes effective on Sunday, 2nd June by 12.00 midnight,” he said.