Activities in some banks, government offices, post offices, public schools and other essential services in some states have grounded following organised labour directive for workers to go strike due to non-negotiation of Minimum Wage.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondents who monitored activities in states such as Lagos, Ebonyi, Kogi and Federal Capital Territory, on Thursday observed that virtually all the establishments in these states were closed in compliance with directive.
NAN reports that labour demanded N65, 000 national minimum wage up from the current N18,000, which was subject to negotiation by a 30-man tripartite National Minimum Wage Committee set up by the Federal Government in November 2017.
The compliance with the strike in Lagos, showed that the enforcement teams of the organised labour set out from Ikeja to the State Secretariat, Alausa, at about 7:20 am and workers were stopped from entering their offices.
Banks such as UBA and Wema along the Lagos-Ibadan Express Way on Alimosho road were closed for business.
The enforcement team of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) led by its President, Oyinkan Olasanoye prevented staff from gaining access to Stanbic IBTC Bank, Ikeja branch.
The ASSBIFI team stormed Polaris Bank (former Skye Bank), on Awolowo Way, Ikeja, as its entrance gate was locked by the union, while workers and customers were prevented from accessing the premises.
Olasanoye said that the enforcement was in compliance with the directive of the TUC, the labour centre to which ASSBIFI was affiliated.
She had on Wednesday at a news conference told journalists that ASSBIFI had dispatched letters to all its members in banks across the country to join the strike
However, Access Bank in Dopemu and First Bank in Iyana- Ipaja opened for business with many customers attempting to make one transaction or another.
Meanwhile, filling stations are dispensing fuel to customers, and the roads are busy with the usual heavy traffic from Iyana-Ipaja to Ikeja..
In Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi, activities in some banks, the courts, public schools and government establishments were brought to a halt over NLC strike directive.
A bank staff, who pleaded on anonymity, told NAN that they only heard the information on air as the circular had not been distributed.
“We only heard the information on radio but the circular is yet to arrive at the bank,’’ he said.
However, at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (FETHA), doctors, nurses and other health workers at the hospital complex were at their various duty posts attending to patients.
Also a staff at the hospital,who preferred anonymity told NAN that they were yet to get directive.
“We are still at our duty posts at the moment, until we get signal,” he said.
NAN visited the High Courts at Abakaliki and Obiozora headquarters of Ohaozara Local Government Area of the state where the circular was pasted.
In Kogi, government workers stayed away from the State Scretariat Complex, Phase 2 in Lokoja, in compliance with the directive of the unions to embark on a nationwide strike.
The two buildings, which housed most of the government ministries, were abandoned as very few workers were seen in the premises.
One of the workers, a director, who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, said he came to the office because he was a management staff and could not partake in the strike.
“Even though we are in total support of the strike because it is justifiable, as a management staff we must come to the office.
“We are appealing to the state and federal government to do the needful by reconvening the tripartite committee as being demanded by the unions,” he said.
He urged the Federal Government to go back to the drawing board with the organised labour unions and do the right thing, saying workers were like babies in the hand of the government.
Another worker, Mr Matthew Olalekan, told NAN that the strike witnessed full compliance in Kogi because the organised labour in the state had given them directive to join the strike.
“Nigerian workers have suffered enough, our salary is nothing to write home about because of high rate of inflation, and our children are out of school due to poor wages,” Olalekan said.
NAN reports that teachers of public schools in Kogi were also participating in the strike as schools were closed down, and some students who came to school went back home.
Local government workers also stayed away from their offices as no worker was seen on the premises, except security personnel.
However, the commercial banks in the confluence city have their doors opened to render services to their customers.
A student of Government Science Secondary School, Lokoja, Collins Usman, told NAN that one of their school gates was opened, but the security personnel denied them access to the school premises.
“The security men told us to go back home that there was no teacher on ground to teach us, that they are on strike,” Usman said.
At the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Bwari Council, many customers were disappointed that their banks did not allow them access into their banks.
NAN correspondent who went round the town to observed that all the banks in the area had their gates shut while workers operated within.
However, ATMs services in the town were function but the queues were long because customers could not gain access to the banks.
Also the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Headquarters was not completely shut as senior staff of the board were seen entering the premises to work.
However, Bwari Area Council Secretariat was closed as few staff and security operatives were outside chatting away. (NAN)