"Total Shutdown": List of Major Labour Unions that will Join Nationwide Strike on October 3
Barring any last-minute change of mind, Nigeria's organised labour will embark on an indefinite strike on Tuesday, October 3.
The labour leaders in the country said they took the decision following the “failure” of the Bola Tinubu government to successfully implement policies to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians following the removal of the subsidy on petrol.
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“It’s going to be a total shutdown … until government meets the demand of Nigerian workers, and in fact Nigerian masses,” the labour leaders said.
October 3 strike: List of labour unions to join
There are numerous labour unions in Nigeria, cutting across different sectors.
Here is a list of the labour unions that have announced they will join the strike.
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is at the forefront of the strike. The union had earlier embarked on a two-day warning strike. It also gave the government a 21-day ultimatum, which has ended.
Joe Ajaero, the national president of the NLC, complained that “none of the demands put before the federal government had been addressed."
The NLC is an umbrella body which houses unions for many industries, including nurses, road workers and printers.
Trade Union Congress (TUC)
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) is another major union whose members are ready to join the nationwide strike.
Members of the TUC include senior bank workers and high school teachers, among others.
Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG)
Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) is one of Nigeria's main oil and gas unions.
NUPENG President Williams Akporeha said the union will also join the nationwide strike, according to Reuters.
Workers other NUPENG include fuel tanker drivers, pump attendants, among others.
National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE)
The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has also directed its members to commence full mobilisation to join the indefinite strike.
Premium Times reported that the NUEE in a notice signed by its acting general secretary, Dominic Igwebike, urged its members to stop work from the early hours of Tuesday.
This means Nigeria may be plunged into a blackout when the strike begins.
Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI)
The Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) has also asked its members to join the strike.
ASSBIFI’s directive to its members, according to PM News, was issued by the Assistant General Secretary, Admin and Planning, Saka Adekunle and Head, International & Industrial Relations, Anthony Emeh.
This implies that banks may also not be in operation during the strike.
NURTW says it won't join strike
Unlike other unions, the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has said that its members will not be participating in the strike, stating that the plan was “ill-timed and in bad faith”.
The union leader, Alhaji Tajudeen Badiru Agbede, stated the union’s position after an emergency meeting with all the state chairmen, secretaries and treasurers in Abuja, Nigerian Tribune reported.
NURTW members are mainly commercial drivers.
Nationwide strike: FG invites union leaders
Meanwhile, the federal government has made another move to halt the planned nationwide indefinite strike as it invited the union leaders for another round of interaction.
The peace meeting will be held on Sunday, October 1, at the presidential villa in Abuja.
Source: Legit.ng
