There was a large compliance to the nationwide strike called by organised labour continued to demand an increased minimum wage as Lagos, the commercial capital of the country witnessed a lull in activities as several offices remained locked.

As in other major cities in Nigeria, workers in Lagos state, mostly those in private and public organisations across the state, complied with industrial action, leading them to shut their places of work.

Aside from the closure of workplaces, organised labour appeared determined to bring the nation to its knees evidenced by the shutdown of the national grid, which cut off electricity supply throughout the country.

After several fruitless meetings with the Federal Government regarding the increment in the minimum wage from the N60,000 that the government had suggested, the National Labour Congress (NLC) and its sister body, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), maintained their stance to express their dissatisfaction and embarked on strike today.

According to Festus Osifo, the TUC national president, the federal government’s inability to conclude and agree to organised labour’s demand to raise the minimum wage to N497,000 and reverse the categorisation of consumers into Bands prompted the decision to shut the country down indefinitely.

The National Assembly’s top brass, notably Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbass, convened with organised labour executives yesterday to discuss the new minimum wage and prevent the strike from happening, but the meeting proved fruitless.

Showing their compliance today, not less than 31 union affiliates of the two main bodies of the NLC and the TUC raised their hands to support the labour unions by refusing to open their workplaces today.

While there was the movement of public vehicles in Lagos even though the roads were less busy than usual, the same cannot be said for passengers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, as they were left stranded with their luggage in their hands as airport workers also adhered to the directive from the labour unions.

Similarly, public schools were also closed down as many students were seen returning home after they attempted to show up in the schools in the morning. Another compliance with the directive of organised labour was the partial operations of the banks in Lagos.
While the majority of banks remained closed, the few that did open claimed that their operations were restricted because they were trying to avoid the labour unions’ enforcement actions.

By the directives of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) also closed port gates, leaving the customs-licenced agents and freight forwarders stranded from performing their activities.

Below are the unions that joined the organised labour in the strike action across the country today.

1 The Academic Staff Union of Universities.
2. Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria.
3. The National Union of Electricity Employees.
4. National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees.
5. Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria.
6. Joint Union Action Committee.
7. The Nigeria Union of Teachers.
8. National Associations of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives.
Joint Health Sector Unions.
10. Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees.
11. National Union of Civil Engineering, Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers.
Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria.
13. National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
14. Nigeria Union of Railway Workers
15. Nigeria Civil Service Union
16. Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals.
17. Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Agriculture.
18. Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities.
19. Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies.
20. Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria.
21. Nigerian Union of Journalists.
22. Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnic.
23. National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees
24. Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees.
25. Iron and Steel Senior Staff Association of Nigeria
26. National Union of Air Transport Employees.
27. Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria.
28. National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers.
29. National Union of Postal and Telecommunication Employees.
30. Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria.
31. Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions.