Enoch Stephen
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliate Unions have commenced a 2-day nationwide warning strike.
Stallion Times reports that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong in a press conference on Monday appealed to the NLC to suspend the 2-day warning strike. The NLC shunned his appeal.
In Kano, the strike is being observed; public and private institutions are under lock and key as the NLC enforcement team supervises the strike action.
Comrade Kabiru Inuwa, the Kano State NLC Chairman in an interview with Stallion Times said the strike action became necessary as it appeared that the Federal Government (FG) is paying lip service to the sufferings of the Nigerian masses, months after removing fuel subsidy.
“Workers in the state, are witnessing unimagined hardship as the minimum wage is no longer sufficient, coupled with the heightened cost of living, he added.
The NCL Chairman pointed out that while top government officials still maintain an extravagant lifestyle, the poor masses are still grappling with the basic necessities of life.
“All workers in Kano are observing the 2-day warning strike.
“This is just a warning strike, as announced by the national body and if the FG fails to meet the demands of the masses, then an indefinite strike will take place.
“If it reaches a stage where labour embarks on an indefinite strike, there will be no turning back until the FG meets all demands of the NLC.
“Nigerians are suffering on a day-to-day basis and the FG needs to meet our demands.
“The Kano Council of the NLC calls on the FG to go beyond distributing palliatives and put in concrete measures to ameliorate the sufferings the people are passing through because of fuel subsidy removal.” He said.
Similarly, Comrade Ado Riruwai, the NLC Chairman of the Private Sector and leader of the strike enforcement team in Kano told Stallion Times that “we are currently shutting down all government and private agencies that have not complied with the ongoing strike.
“Some of the sectors we shut down include banks, KEDCO, and all government institutions in the state.
“Currently we got informed that a flight has taken off, we are approaching to shut down the airport as well.”
Stallion Times observed that the central business area of the state is calm with few commercial tricycles plying the roads, though a handful of shop owners are open for business.
