ASUU, Railway, Maritime Workers Join Nationwide Strike

Some affiliates of Organised Labour have indicated their intention to join the nationwide strike starting Monday midnight.

In a circular to its zonal coordinators and chairpersons, signed by its President, Emmanuel Osodeke, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) directed its members to join the nationwide strike declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria,

ASUU stated that it decided to join the strike to protect the interest of Nigerian workers and the union’s leadership.

The circular reads, “As an affiliate of NLC, all members of our union are hereby directed to join this action of NLC to protect the interest of Nigerian workers and the leadership of the union.

“Zonal coordinators and branch chairpersons should immediately mobilise our members to participate in the action.”

Maritime Workers Join Strike

Also, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has reiterated its plan to shut down the nation’s port at midnight in line with a directive from the NLC and TUC joint National Executive Council (NEC).

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune on Monday, the Secretary General of the MWUN, Comrade Oniha Odigwe, said an affiliate of the NLC, the MWUN has no choice but to join in the strike action.

He said: “The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria will commence a nationwide strike by midnight on Tuesday, November 14, 2023.

“The nationwide strike is coming on the backdrop of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) joint National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, directing its affiliate unions to embark on immediate withdrawal of services and to shut down Imo State by all public and private sector workers indefinitely by midnight of November 7, 2023.

“This decision by the NLC and TUC is prompted by a series of infractions and encroachments on the rights of workers in Imo State and the distressing and appalling acts of violence and bloodshed inflicted upon the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and other unions’ officials by the Imo State government in collaboration with the Nigerian Police and Imo State Command.

“The joint communiqué signed by Comrade (Prince) Dr Adewale Adeyanju, President-General, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), who doubles as Deputy President of NLC with Comrade Festus Osifo, President of TUC, further directs that in the event that ‘Labours’ demands are unmet, workers all over the federation shall join in withdrawing their services by midnight on Tuesday, November 14, 2023.

“The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, as an affiliate of the Nigeria Labour Congress, has directed that all members of the union comply with the jointly signed communique to commence immediate and total mobilisation to ensure MWUN participation in the nationwide strike on Tuesday, November 14th, 2023 is complied with indefinitely.”

Railway Workers Join Strike

The Nigerian Union of Railway Workers (NUR) are set to ground train operations nationwide from Tuesday, 14th of November, in solidarity with a directive from the Organised Labour.

In a statement signed on Monday by the NUR Secretary General, Comrade Segun Esan, the workers said the decision to embark on a nationwide strike was taken after exhaustive consideration of the nation’s subsisting labour atmosphere and the uncomplimentary body language of the Federal Government on the unfortunate Owerri incident of 1st November 2023.

The union said it had sent copies of the statement to the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, the Commissioner of Police, NRC Police Command and the Commandant, NSCDC, NRC Command.

The statement reads, “Against the subsisting backdrop of the 1st November 2023 violent physical assaults, illicit arrest and detention of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comr. Joe Ajaero and many other workers at the Imo State NLC Secretariat, Owerri, by the Imo State Police Command, the Nigeria Labour Congress has convened a virtual National Executive Council (NEC) Meeting today Monday, 13th November 2023 and after exhaustive consideration of the nation’s subsisting labour atmosphere and the uncomplimentary body language of the federal government on the unfortunate Owerri incident of 1st November, the Congress’ NEC-in-session has finally decided that the nationwide strike action as threatened by the Congress must commence.

“In effect, therefore, all the workers of Nigerian Railway are duty-bound to join the nationwide strike action from the zero-zero hour of Tuesday, 14th November, 2023 by staying back at home and away from their offices while the NRC management and its security apparatus are enjoined to resume the spotlight to lock, secure and protect all the fixed and movable assets of the Corporation while the strike action lasts.

“All the offices, stations, workshops, and entire premises of the Corporation remain locked and inaccessible from the zero-zero hour of Tuesday, 14th November 2023 till otherwise directed by the Congress.

“This is a critical moment that we all must rise in strong and indivisible unison to salvage the credibility and integrity of the Nigerian workers who have for long been seized in the jugular by the state and its coercive instruments.