ASUU, Public Schools, Nurses, Midwives, Others Join NLC, TUC Nationwide Strike
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has joined the ongoing strike embarked on today, Monday, June 3, by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC.
Organized labour started the industrial action following the federal government’s failure to meet the unions’ minimum wage demand.
Also, the National Association of Nurses and Midwives has issued a memo to its members to join the nationwide strike.
A statement by the unit PRO of NANNM at the Federal Medical Centre, Gusau, Zamfara State, Salisu Abubakar, confirmed the directive from the national body of the union to join the ongoing strike.
He added that members have therefore been directed to join the strike in compliance with the national directive.
In a statement addressed to the branch chairpersons and zonal coordinators of ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, directed lecturers in universities across the country to join the strike as an affiliate of the congress.
The statement reads:
“The NLC has declared an indefinite strike action beginning from Monday, June 3, 2024, as a result of the failure of the government to conclude the renegotiation of minimum wage for Nigerian workers and reversal of hike in electricity tariff.
Our branches are hereby enjoined to join in the strike action as an affiliate member of Congress.
Consequently, branch chairpersons are to mobilise all members to participate in the strike action. Yours in the struggle.”
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Also, government owned schools, both primary and secondary and banks were shut by protesting Labour unions within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
There were reports that some schools around the Asokoro Extension area of the FCT, Lagos state and some other states conducted their regular morning routines, including attending assembly in preparation for classes.
However, schools were later directed to close down in compliance with the nationwide strike.
Similarly, commercial banks along the AYA axis of Abuja were all closed to customers due to the industrial action by the organized labour.
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A security guard at Access Bank situated along the AYA axis said the bank was closed due to the ongoing strike.
When asked why the bank was closed, the guard, who refused to disclose his name, said,
“The bank is closed due to the ongoing strike; sorry, you can’t come in.”
Another security guard from UBA said,
“Our salary is too small, so we are going on strike. We need more money. Banks are closed.”
According to reports, the strike aims to push for an increment in the pay of workers across the country. While the organized labour is demanding N494,000 as a new minimum wage for workers, the Nigerian government is proposing N60,000.
In a last-minute move to stop the strike, leaders of the National Assembly and organized labour met yesterday, but the meeting ended in a deadlock as the organized labour insisted on the commencement of the strike.
Speaking after the meeting, TUC President, Comrade Festus Osifo, said the organized labour would never call off the strike without consulting its members.
“It is difficult and, in fact, impossible for us as labour leaders to call off the strike here. We need to communicate with our various organs, meaning that the industrial action starts on Monday as planned,”
he said.