Strike cripples govt, banks, schools’ activities in Lagos
Government offices,
banks and public schools were on Thursday closed in Lagos State as the
organised labour began its strike over delay by Federal Government in
concluding negotiation on a new minimum wage.
The enforcement teams
of the organised labour set out from Ikeja to the State Secretariat, Alausa, at
7:20 am and workers who arrived for work were being turned back.
The News Agency of
Nigeria correspondents who went round the Lagos metropolis reported that the
United Bank for Africa on Lagos-Ibadan express way and Wema Bank in Alimosho
were closed.
NAN reports that the
enforcement team of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and
Financial Institutions led by its President, Oyinkan Olasanoye prevented staff
from gaining access to Stanbic IBTC Bank, Ikeja branch.
The ASSBIFI team stormed
Polaris Bank (former Skye Bank) on Awolowo Way, Ikeja, as its gate was locked
by the union, while workers and customers were prevented from accessing the
premises.
Olasanoye said the
enforcement was in compliance with the directive of the Trade Union Congress,
which ASSBIFI was affiliated to.
She had on Wednesday at
a news conference told journalists that ASSBIFI had dispatched letters to all
its members in banks across the country, to join the strike.
However, Access Bank in
Dopemu and First Bank in Iyana-Ipaja opened for business with many customers
carrying out various transactions.
Meanwhile, fuel
stations were seen attending to customers, while major roads, including
Iyana-Ipaja to Ikeja and Ikorodu Road, were busy with the usual heavy traffic.
It will be recalled
that labour demanded N65,000 national minimum, up from the current N18,000.
The wage was subject to
negotiation by the 30-man tripartite National Minimum Wage Committee set up by
the government in November 2017.
NAN reports that the
Minister of Labour, Sen. Chris Ngige, said the tripartite committee would
reconvene on October 4, 2018.
Ngige said the meeting
would enable the committee continue the negotiation, assuring that the current
administration was labour-friendly and would pay the minimum wage once agreed
upon.
(NAN)
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