NLC, TUC suspend nationwide strike

Di organized Labour for Nigeria don suspend dia nationwide strike about 24 hours afta dia industrial action take effect.

Di strike wey start on Tuesday evening end on Wednesday night.

Di leadership of di unions make di announcement wey suspend di strike afta dia meeting wit di National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

Di organised labour unions wey comprise of di NLC and TUC salute dia members all ova di kontri for dia solidarity and compliance to di industrial action.

Di union leadership bin tok say di strike go kontinu wen dem urge dia members to continue to arrange demselves until goment meet dia demands.

Di kontri two biggest labour unions, NLC and TUC bin begin one indefinite nationwide strike on Tuesday.

Di organised labour unions declare di industrial action on Monday, 13 November for one press briefing.

Dem direct dia members all ova di kontri to withdraw dia services and stay for house from di midnight of 13 November.

On Wednesday Bayero University Kano (BUK) suspend dia first semester examinations sake of di ongoing nationwide by di Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and di Trade Union Congress (TUC).

Di strike dey politically motivated - Gov. Hope Uzodinma

Meanwhile, Imo state wia dem bin assault di leader of di NLC Joe Ajaero don react to di industrial action.

Di state Govnor Hope Uzodinma say im regret di attack on di labour union leader, Joe Ajaero.

For one meeting wit di Council of Elders for di state on Tuesday, e say di NLC strike dey politically motivated and e condemn wetin e describe as di attempt of di NLC president to take di leadership of di state for granted.

On di issue of Imo state workers salaries, Uzodinma tok say im no dey owe any of im 98% legit workers salaries and im even clear di backlogs salaries im meet wen e become govnor.

'Asuu join di strike'

Di Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) order dia members to follow for di strike.

According to one statement by di ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, e say “as affiliate of di NLC, all members of our union dey hereby directed to join dis action of NLC to protect di interest of di workers plus di leadership of di union.

No be only ASUU dey expected to join di strike, di Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP) and di Colleges of Education Staff Union (COEASU) don ask dia members to fully comply wit di strike.

Apart from di education institutions, di Medical and Health workers Union of Nigeria for one circular, order dia members to join di labour union indefinite strike.

Di transport sector wey include di Nigeria Union of Railway Workers and di Nigeria Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria follow join di strike.

Other affected sectors include di National Union of Electricity Employees (NUES) and National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees. NUES for inside statement say dem go withdraw dia services nationwide from Tuesday, 14 November.

Also, di financial institutions direct all dia members for bank, insurance plus oda financial institutions to stay off duty from 14 November until wen di congress decide to call off di industrial action.

Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Nigeria Union of Public Service Reportorial, Secretarial, data processors and Allied Workers, National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, Nigeria Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and di National Union of Postal and Telecommunication Employees.

Workers bin comply to di strike?

BBC Pidgin dey monitor di strike wey di organised labour unions embark upon on Tuesday.

As at Wednesday, our reporter for Rivers state say di state judiciary and civil service don join di strike. Na di same tori for Kano wia di courts and ministries dey under lock and key.

For Lagos, di coroner inquest into di death of Nigerian musician Mohbad dey put on hold on Wednesday as di Justice Candide Johnson courtroom for Ikorodu bin dey shut sake of di strike.

Public schools for Lagos also join di strike. Our reporter observe say both students from public secondary schools and pupils of primary schools dey return back to dia house for Lagos.

According to some of di pupils, dey say dia teachers say make dem dey go house.

Also, medical laboratory workers don also shut dia offices for Lagos.

BBC Pidgin observe say di Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO) wey dey in charge laboratory activities lock dia gate and no official dey work or attend to anybody.

Meanwhile on Day One, going round Kano city, most pipo dey carry on wit dia normal activities except some goment offices wey di strike affect.

For Alausa secretariat for Ikeja Lagos, BBC Pidgin monitor say workers dey office and activities dey go on without restrictions.

One worker wey no want make we mention im name tok say dem neva receive any directive wey say make dem no come work.

E add say anytin fit change before tomorrow, but for now. dem still dey work and di strike neva affect dem.

Plenti cars wey belong to staff dey parked wey show say pipo show up for office to work.

Why NLC/TUC dey embark on strike?

Di strike na part of labour move to push for justice for di NLC national President Joe Ajaero wey suspected thugs attack for Owerri, Imo State on 1 November.

Ajaero and oda NLC members bin dey di south-east state to fight for di rights of workers wey government bin dey owe 31 months salaries plus di ova ten thousand ghost workers dem claim say dem unjustly declare as ghost workers.

However, according to di union leaders, suspected agents of di state and security operatives bin assault Ajaero badly, bundle am and odas put inside one van and detain dem briefly.

Following di incident, NLC and TUC bin threaten to go on nationwide strike on 14 November, if di goment fail to meet dia demands, wey include di resignation of one police officer.

“We demand say make di Area Commander wey lead di police to carry out di brutalisation dey relieved of im duties and make e face prosecution.

We also want make dem arrest and prosecute di Imo state Govnor Hope Uzodinma Special Adviser on Special Duties, Chinasa Nwaneri, wey lead di touts.” Di union tok.

How Nigeria goment react

Di federal goment bin ask di Nigeria Labour Congress (TUC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to cancel dia planned nationwide strike.

For one statement on Monday night, Kamarudeen Ogundele, di Special Assistant Communication & Publicity to di Attorney General of di Federation & Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, bin remind di unions about one court order wey ban dem from going on strike.

Di President of di National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Justice B. B. Kanyip bin grant di interim order on 10 November.

“We wish to remind di Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress say one subsisting court order dey wey stop di unions and dia affiliates from embarking on di strike,” di statement tok.

Di federal goment bin call on di unions to “respect di court order and obey di principle of di rule of law. E say no need to resort to self-help.

“We urge workers to report for duties and make dem no entertain any y fear as dia safety dey guaranteed and go dey protected within di ambit of law”.