The organised labour in Zamfara State and Kastina moved from one public and private establishment to the other to enforce total compliance with the nationwide indefinite strike directed by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
The enforcement team led by the chairman of the Zamfara State Council of the NLC Sani Haliru and his TUC counterpart Sai’du Mudi shutdown activities in the state capital.
The team picketed one of the banks at Sani Abacha road in the Gusau metropolis for allegedly failing to comply with the strike and refusing to grant the enforcement team access to its premises, unlike the other banks who granted them unfettered access and complied with the strike.
The two labour leaders while addressing journalists over the indefinite strike said it would institute a legal suit against the bank for its recalcitrance attitude.
Efforts to speak with someone who identified himself as the branch manager of the said bank were unsuccessful as he declined to comment on the development.
Labour leaders said the strike is total and they want all concerned to comply with the directive as the economic situation affects all Nigerians.
They also claimed that the Federal Government has failed to fulfill its promises to alleviate the hardship caused by the removal of fuel subsidies which resulted in high inflation in the country.
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Workers Comply In Katsina
Meanwhile, in Katsina, the NLC and TUC imposed total compliance to push for a new national minimum wage for workers among other demands.
The state NLC Chairman Husaini Yanduna in a press briefing held at the State NLC Secretariat Complex, described the hike in electricity tariff and the failure of the government to implement the new minimum wage as two major sensitive issues the two unions are fighting.
He, therefore, pledged to continue with the strike until when their demands are met by the Government.
Yanduna however observed that the Federal Government is ready to accommodate the strike action because, even yesterday, the Senate and the House of Representatives were only appealing for the suspension of the planned strike and not looking at ways to address the underlying causes of the strike.
“The two chambers had within 48 hours passed the National Anthem Bill which was signed into law by the president. This is to show that, the national anthem is more important than the workers’ demand,” Yanduna said.
On his part, the TUC Chairman in the state Muntari Ruma said he is impressed with the compliance level across the state and the country.
Channels Television monitored the compliance level across the state which is a total where the State Secretariat Complex including various public and private organisations were shut down with workers withdrawing their services.
With Monday’s strike action, the labour centres aim to pressure the government into offering a higher minimum wage with both congresses insisting on N494,000 which they consider adequate to reflect the high cost of living.
