Prepare For Total Paralysis —NLC

The nationwide strike which begins by 12 midnight is going to be total as banks, commuter buses and airlines will not be allowed to operate.

This declaration came from the Assistant General Secretary of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Denja Yaqub, who warned Nigerians to be prepared as the warning strike may continue if the government does not accede to the demands of Nigerian workers.

He said the organised labour, including the NLC, Trade Union Congress, and all other branches of the labour and civil society coalition like the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, have effectively mobilised their members to participate in the strike in solidarity with the Nigerian workers.

Major markets, according to him, will not open while the action would last. He therefore urged Nigerians to stock their kitchens with foodstuff so that they don’t end up complaining.

P.M.NEWS learnt that various monitoring groups have been set up to ensure strict compliance in all the sectors of the Nigerian economy during the strike action.

According to Comrade Yaqub, “at 12 midnight this Wednesday 19 July, the national strike will start. All air and seaports will be closed. There will be no sale of fuel, no banking operations and no road transport. Indeed, everything will not work. Don’t blame your network for drop calls.

“Our minimum wage is as important as jumbo pay for those in government. Banks will close during the strike. All petrol stations will close. Markets will close while road, and sea transport will not operate. Seaports and indeed all workplaces will be closed from 20-22 July.”

Lamenting the situation in the country, he said those who actually work to make the government functional are living in poverty while those in authority continue to enjoy the country’s wealth without consideration for their followers. The situation, he said, is now so bad that “when you turn left, all you can see is opulence and ineptitude; you turn right, all you see are millions of people boiling in poverty.

“Boko Haram and its like can never be arrested. Insecurity is a product of system failure.”

Explaining the reason for the action even when the state governors had consented to the demands of the organised labour, he said the governors were not truly committed.

He stressed that they hurriedly agreed in order to avert the strike action.

“The governors are merely diverting attention. Nigerian workers can’t be deceived. There is no serious commitment that they will obey the minimum wage law.

“The strike will start as scheduled on Wednesday 20 July. All Nigerian airspace and seaports will be closed by midnight Tuesday, 19. July.”

President Goodluck Jonathan had on 25 March, 2011 signed the Minimum Wage Bill proposing N18,000 as minimum wage for Nigerian workers and passed by the National Assembly into law.

Since then, the governors had come out with several excuses on why they cannot pay the wage.

Even as at last night, the Chairman of the Governors Forum and Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi, maintained that not all the states could pay the amount since the 36 states are not at the same pace financially, but the civil society groups claimed that there is enough money in the country to meet the demands of workers.

Meanwhile, talks between labour and Federal Government over aimed at averting the planned three- day national strike by Nigerian labour unions over the new national minimum wage ended in a deadlock on Monday as the Federal Government insisted that it will only commence payment to workers on grade level 07 to 17 in the Federal Civil Service on January, 2012.

Anyim Pius Anyim, Secretary to the Government of the Federation at a meeting with leaders of the NLC, TUC and Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, on Monday said there are problems with the interpretation of the National Minimum Wage Act.

Anyim therefore said the meeting with the labour was not called to negotiate wages or salaries, but to address the problem of interpreting the National Minimum Wage Act.

He said this is because there are no disagreements on the part of the federal and state governments on the payment of the N18, 000.00 wage.

“In order to be sure that we act within the law, we pay levels one to six, which we have provided for in the budget, then as we process this year’s budget, we will provide for relativity principle from levels seven to 17. Then from January we will pay that one. The whole idea is we have to act within the law,” Anyim told the Labour leaders.

He, however, said that the Federal Government is ready to implement the new minimum wage for the level 01 to 06 in its employ.

The SGF who called for understanding on the part of the labour unions said workers must understand the peculiarities of each state and local government area.

Anyim called for understanding between the parties and understanding of the peculiarities of each state and local government.

But his appeal fell on deaf ears as the leaders of the NLC and TUC, after a closed-door session, vowed to proceed with the three-day strike, just as they asked the Federal Government to make emergency appropriation as it did with the release of about N100 billion for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2011 general elections.

The labour unions have said the strike, slated for July 20 to 22, 2011, will be the “mother of all strikes.”

—Eromosele Ebhomele