The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG,
yesterday said loading of products, including aviation fuel, would stop
from today as affiliates of United Labour Congress of Nigeria, ULC,
begin an indefinite strike.
Also, electricity workers, on the
platform of National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, National
Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE, and National Union
of Railway Workers, have also asked members to down tools and join the
strike. However, leaders of the National Union of Banks, Insurance and
Financial Employees, NUBIFIE, said members may not effectively join the
strike today because the union just concluded its delegates conference
weekend, warning, however, that members would fully join should the
strike persist.
But the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, insisted yesterday that the ULC was fake, since it was not recognized by government, and urged Nigerians to ignore the group. Similarly, the Federal Ministry of Labour also held on to its earlier position that the ULC was not recognized by the Federal Government. The Presidency, through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said last night that the Presidency stands by the Labour Minister’s position that the ULC is not recognised by the Federal Government.
However, leaders of Steel and Engineering Workers of Nigeria, SEWUN, Iron and Steel Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ISSSAN, National Union of Lottery Agents and Employees,Nigerian Union of Mine Workers, Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals, Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Metal Product Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Fitters Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, National Union of Shop and Distributive Employees and Academic Staff Union of Research Institute, among others, said their members would fully comply with the strike directive by the national leadership of ULC.
Speaking yesterday, Lagos State Chairman of ULC and
Lagos zonal chairman of NUPENG, Tokunbo Korodo, said though there was
skeletal loading of products weekend, there will be total shut down of
all loading activities by members today. “What that means is that we are
not going to load products across the country, including aviation fuel,
from today until there is counter directive from the national leaders
of our umbrella body, the ULC,’’ he said.
Similarly General Secretary of
NAAPE, Ocheme Aba, said members will fully comply with the strike,
noting that that the strike would be handled strategically. “We are not
going to confront anybody, but I can assure you that you will definitely
feel the impact of the action,” he said.
In the same vein, Delta State
Council of ULC has directed all affiliates in the state to immediately
commence total withdrawal of services from today, in compliance with the
resolutions of national leadership of the labour centre. Chairman of
the council, Comrade Williams Akporeha, said : “We are not deterred but
only very worried to hear this sort of comment from respected government
officials who allowed undemocratic forces to corrupt and cripple the
NLC. “On behalf of the national leadership of congress, all our members
in Delta State are hereby directed to proceed on an indefinite
industrial action with immediate effect without fear of intimidation and
harassment. “We shall continue to monitor compliance and effectiveness
until the Federal Government meets our demands already sent to the
appropriate agents of government.”
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