In compliance with the directive of the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the entrance to the Federal Secretariat, Ikolaba, Ibadan, Oyo State, was shut, on Tuesday.
Many workers who arrived early with the hope of reporting for duty were denied entrance, as palm fronds were placed on different parts of the gate symbolising barred entry.
Union leaders under the aegis of the Federal Workers Forum were seen manning the entrance of the secretariat complex, preventing the few workers that reported for duty from entering.
The National Cordinator, Federal Workers Forum, Mr. Andrew Emelieze, said the NLC had given a directive that workers should go on a 2-day warning strike.
He stated: “In that sense we have decided that the federal secretariats across the country should be shut down, because there’s no worker who is not affected by the current hardship.
“There’s no worker that is not going through suffering, workers are feeling disappointed, feeling that they have been betrayed and cheated by the system.”
Emelieze noted that in the past three months since removal of subsidy, the price of petroleum had been increased twice, yet salaries had been stagnant to the extent that workers find it difficult to survive, and on that premise decided to embark on the warning strike.
He said: “This is to let government know that if federal workers should be crying like this, what of those Nigerians that are not working. So, we are insisting that the Federal Government should listen to the cry of labour, do the needful and make sure that workers’ demands are met.”
Emelieze warned the Federal Government to expect further action from Nigerian workers if it fails to respond to the workers’ demands in the next 14 to 21 days.
However, at the Oyo State Secretariat, all the entrance gates were opened and some workers were seen arriving as early as 6:30am.
The state mass transit buses dedicated to conveying workers were also seen arriving the secretariat with the last getting in a few minutes to 8am, though the buses were not filled to capacity, an indication that some workers might have stayed back from work.
It was, however, gathered that senior members of staff from Deputy Director cadre upwards were to report for duty until otherwise directed, irrespective of the NLC orders.
Normalcy was observed at the main entrance gate with residents and commuters going about their duties unhindered and there were no unusual security personnel at the gate unlike in times past when strike actions were called.
At the University College Hospital (UCH), it was observed that the second gate of the hospital was shut as staff and patients were forced to make use of the main gate, which was opened.
On a visit to the hospital, normal activities were on, as Voice of Nigeria gathered that many unions in the UCH were not under the NLC and only those under the Congress were on strike.
It was also observed that banks around the Secretariat-Awolowo Road were not opened for business, but assured that alternative banking platforms, including Automated Teller Machines (ATM), were available for customers transactions.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero had announced on Friday that the Congress had decided, at its NEC meeting, to go on a two-day warning strike, on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the possibility of a “total shutdown” after 14 days.
