By Our Correspondents
Our correspondents across the country who monitored the ongoing strike called by the organized labour unions to press for an increase in the minimum wage reports that the strike action recorded partial compliance on the first day (Thursday September 27, 2017). The strike, which commenced midnight Wednesday, failed to get the expected bite as some critical services sectors like the banks and petrol stations were still in operation across the states of the federation and Abuja.
Recall that after weeks of deliberations and tense negotiations between the federal government and the organised labour, the industrial action was declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to protest the failure of government to agree to a new minimum wage for workers. However, the strike saw many federal civil servants, teachers in public schools staying away from work across the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Following the nationwide strike declared by the leadership of labour unions over new minimum wage, public schools secretariat and Lagos State Judiciary were shut yesterday. Some organisations who thought it was not going to be successful resumed only to close early when news of picketing started spreading especially in Lagos State.
But in a good number of states, our correspondents reported that most workers in compliance with the directive stayed away to observe the nationwide strike called by the NLC and TUC to press home their demand. All the doors of the Lagos High Court rooms were chained and padlocked by workers to prevent proceedings from taking place. As a result, lawyers and litigants who came to the courts were turned back at the gate by security guards who kept watch over the court premises.
But as the strike action entered into its second day today with no end in sight, more and more firms from across the country have joined nationwide but in Lagos State, Nigeria’s business hub, all the banks are open to business when our reporters went round the city to observe the level of compliance on day two of the strike action.
