BREAKING NEWS - The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has commenced a nationwide industrial action today Monday, 5th November 2018 following the inability of the Federal Government to respond to its demands.

Specifically, the union accused the government of not implementing the Memorandum of Action signed with it, declaring that the strike would be total as all federal and state varsities would join the strike.

The union made the announcement after their National Executive Council meeting held at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State on Sunday night.

Briefing journalists after the NEC meeting, the National President of the ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi said all entreaties made to the Federal Government to honour the agreement with the union fell on deaf ears and they had no other alternative but to begin the strike action.

He said,

Ogunyemi reportedly said that the government was not interested in public universities as the children of the top politicians and rich men in the society patronize private universities at the detriment of public institutions.

The Nigeria Labour Congress has directed all its members and affiliate unions to commence a nationwide strike today Thursday 27th September 2018.

The organised labour had held a meeting with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, in Abuja on Wednesday, which did not produce the expected outcome.

The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, said the industrial action would commence due to the refusal of the Federal Government to reconvene the meeting of the tripartite national minimum wage committee to enable it to conclude its work.

He said, 

The workers are demanding a new minimum wage of about N50,000 from the current national minimum wage of N18,000.

However, Ngige told journalists after a meeting with labour leaders that the tripartite committee on national minimum wage would resume negotiations on October 4.

“We are resuming precisely on Thursday, October 4, and the meeting can spill over to October 5. All the processes have been put in place and labour leaders know; they are now expected to communicate such to their organs; so we don’t have any need for a strike,” he said.

Asked if the government team had concluded its consultation on the minimum wage with governors, Ngige said it would be done when the tripartite committee resumed, adding that the government was still consulting with other stakeholders.

He said,

“Part of our consultation means the economic management team would have something to work on. Already, they are working on it, the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission is working on it and it is expected that before the October meeting, they would have been through with work.”

Ngige said a bill would still have to go through the National Assembly after approval by the Federal Executive Council.

But Wabba said the unions had to brief their organs before calling off the strike.

He said, 

“Our demand is that the tripartite negotiating council should be brought back to complete its assignment. He has given us an update and we are taking back the discussion we had with him.”

But the NLC Secretary-General, Dr Peter Ozo-Eson, told one of our correspondents that the strike would proceed as planned,

He asked, “Have we said anything to the contrary?”

In another News, The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria said it would join the strike as long as its labour centre – the Trade Union Congress – was involved.

The spokesman for the organisation, Mr Babatunde Oke, said, 

“We are going to be part of it. As long as our labour centre is involved, we are also involved. We are going to take part in the strike if TUC so directs us.”

Also, the national leadership of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria directed its members to join the warning strike.

The President of JUSUN, Mr Marwan Adamu, said in a statement on Wednesday that “effective from midnight on Wednesday” all courts in the country must remain closed pending a counter instruction from the national secretariat of the union.”

On its part, the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union said that it would embark on the warning strike in solidarity with the NLC.

The COEASU National President, Nuhu Ogirima, said, 

“The academic union will join the strike because it has become evident that dialogue and diplomacy would not make the government change its stance.

He said, 

“It is also expedient to take this action against the crass insensitivity of governments at both state and federal levels to the plight of the colleges of education.”

ASUU NEWS - But the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) said it would consult with its leadership and trustees before joining the strike.

The ASUU National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, told one of our correspondents on the telephone on Wednesday that he could not decide without an approval from the ASUU executives and trustees.

Ogunyemi said, 

“We are part of the NLC. We are an affiliate of the NLC. But we are waiting for the final decision and we are consulting. I am also consulting with the ASUU leadership.”

But the Owerri Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Prof Uzo Onyebinama, during a  press conference at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra  State, on Wednesday said the union might join the strike.

In Abia State, the Chairman of the NLC, Chief Uchenna Obigwe directed federal and state government workers in the state to comply with the directive to embark on the strike.

Obigwe, while briefing journalists in Umuahia, said the NLC viewed the silence of the Federal Government to its demand for a new minimum wage as sabotage.

Meanwhile, a civil society organisation, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, has warned that the nation’s economy would be negatively affected by the strike, urging the NLC and the Federal Government to consider the national interests.

The SERAP Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said;

“In Nigeria, strikes are not an option; a strike will stop the economy and further impoverish Nigerians. What I seek is that the government should settle the minimum wage issue so that our economy can continue to operate at a full speed.

“The NLC should also consider  the interests of the workers and of the nation and resolve this issue quickly.”

The Nigeria Labour Congress had suspended the indefinite strike it called to protest the increase in the price of fuel from N86 and N86.50k to N146. The leader of the union Mr. Ayuba Wabba announced the suspension today Sunday.

The decision came after an emergency meeting of its organs – the National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee. At the meeting, talks were focused on the strike and the way forward.

Pump price of petrol was increase from 86.50 Naira to 145 Naira by the Federal Government on May 11. The 67.6 per cent increase had angered the labour union, with the union saying it was insensitive. The NEC also resolved to resume negotiation with the government on the issue of the increase in the electricity tariff and the 145 percent increase in the pump price of fuel.

Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress on continued nationwide protest to demand an immediate reversal of the increase in the pump price of petrol across the country. The protesters, comprising leaders of the Labour unions and civil society organizations converged at Fadeyi, marched through Ketu, Maryland, and Ikeja in Lagos before bringing the protest to a halt at the Muritala Muhammed International airport. 

The protesters said the court injunction reportedly obtained by the federal Government could not have stopped the people of Nigeria from a protest to demand the reversal of the deregulation policy.

They also vowed to sustain the momentum until the Federal Government conscends to their decision on reversal on the outrageous hike.

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It has been reported that the embattled Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has convened an emergency meeting aimed at brokering peace between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the federal government over the ongoing nationwide strike.

Writing on his Twitter page on Thursday, Bamikole Omisore, Saraki’s Special Assistant on New Media, disclosed that the Senate President, alongside other principal officers of the upper chamber were meeting with officials of the NLC.

"Leadership of Nigerian Senate is now in a meeting with Nigerian Labour Congress to broker peace between labour and government on fuel price deregulation.

"Senate President, Bukola Saraki, is meeting with both factions of NLC. Comrade Wabba, Issa Aremu, Honourable Ekwe, Dr. Ozo-Eson, Comrade Adeyemi, Dr Fashina and others," Omisore tweeted.

When Omisore was contacted in a text message, he said that senators present at the meeting include, Francis Alimikena, Suleiman Nasif, Kabir Gaya, Joshua Lidani and Mao Ohuabunwa.

Workers in Edo State public service Thursday shun leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress and resumed work at their duty post. Some faction Labour leaders in the state led by Emmanuel Ademokun only walked through two major streets in protest.

At various offices visited, workers were seen at work. Pupils at public schools were sent away for the second day, an indication that teachers defied the state government order to resume work. Edo State Head of Service, Mrs. Idahor Gladys, had in a press statement said the government would invoke the no work no pay rule for any worker that joined the strike action.

She said the strike action was illegal. Ademokun insisted that the strike continues even though workers were at work and appealed for artisans to join in the protest.

Source

The Nation

Shock and panic greeted Nigerian Labour Congress protesters in Ebonyi state as a team of armed policement brutally attacked and beat them up for statging a peaceful protest in the state against the increase in pump price by the federal government.

According to our source, the workers were intercepted near Pastoral Centre along the Abakaliki-Enugu Expressway as they were on the peaceful protest by a detachment of Police officers who proceeded to attack the workers.

It was also gathered that the policemen not only attacked and beat them up, the protesters were tear gassed ceaselessly with many sustaining various degree of injuries. The Chairman Comrade Ikechukwu Nwafor was not spared as he was seen rolling on the ground as the Police officers kicked and beat him.

He was later bundled into the waiting white Police Hillux van by four police officers and taken to the Police Headquarters in Abakaliki alongside about 15 other labour leaders.

While defending the impunity, police claimed the workers did not obtain Police clearance to carry out the protest, an allegation debunked by Comrade Nwafor.

The report further states that the workers on getting to the Pastoral Centre, met a detachment of Police Officers who unleashed an attack against the workers tear gassing them ceaselessly. One of the Labour leaders, Comrade Greg Ishaya was seen at the police Station with minor injuries on his hands from the attack. Comrade Ikechukwu Nwafor was in pain as he sustained serious knee injuries and was limping. 

However, the Police Commissioner in the State has denied that the workers were attacked adding that the police only used minimal force to disperse the crowd. 

Speaking on what happened, Ikechukwu Nwafor accused the police of brutality and infringing on their fundamental human rights. “We were on a peaceful demonstration against the increase in fuel pump price and electricity tariff when the police attacked us. We gave them a letter, I was calling the Commissioner and she didn’t pick my calls and we have evidence to that”

“What we were doing is a peaceful demonstration and all of a sudden the police came and attacked us. The police when we saw them we thought they were coming to protect us. They tear gassed us. They lifted me up and hit me on the ground and gave me a thorough beating. Five of them later lifted me up and threw into their hillux van like a common criminal.” Comrade Nwafor  said.

Source

The Nation

Protesters against fuel price increase Wednesday chased out from offices, Edo State government workers who resumed for duties. The protesters comprising of factional members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and members of the civil society organization. At the civil service secretariat, workers were already seated inside their offices when they asked to leave.

Gates to the entrance of the State Ministry of Information and Orientation, Ministry of Justice and other parastatals were placed under lock and key. Staffers of the various ministries did not join in the protest march. They waited outside their offices for several hours and later left for home. Teachers in privately owned primary and secondary schools shunned the strike and protest march as the schools were opened for academic activities.

Pupils of public primary and secondary schools were sent home by their teachers. Doctors and nurses were seen at their duty post at the state government owned hospitals and the courts were also in sessions. Federal government workers resumed for duty at the secretariat at Aduwawa in Ikpoba-Okha local government. All the offices were open for businesses.

The protesters also chased away stated government workers who went for verification exercise. They pulled down the canopies and forced staff of the Information and Communication Technology unit to stop work.

As at press time, the protesters were still marching along major streets of Benin City.