The National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE), Nigeria Union of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), the Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PTECSSAN), and other affiliates of the Nigeria Labour Congress have joined the two-day warning strike planned by the workers’ body.
The two-day nationwide strike is to protest the high standard of living which is caused by the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, commonly known as petrol.
Others include the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN; the National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE; Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals, ANAN, National Association of Air Pilots and Engineers, NAPE; National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees, NUFBTE; National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees, NUCFRLANMPE, and others in the manufacturing sector.
Some of these unions such as the MWUN, and NUBIFIE had issued an official notice regarding the impending shutdown, however, others said they would formally inform their employers.
NUBIFIE in a statement signed by the General Secretary of the Union, Mohammed I. Sheikh said all banks will be shut down on Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th September 2023.
The statement reads, “In line with the communique issued after the meeting of National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) held on Thursday 31 August that all affiliates should direct all its members to commence two days withdrawal of services from Tuesday & Wednesday the 5 & 6 September 2023
“The directive is imperative to get the needed attention of the government and warn it off its newfound love of meddling in the internal affairs of unions rather than address the punishing economic circumstances we find ourselves in.
“We hereby direct all our organs to comply with this directive by ensuring all our members stay off duties for the two days.” it read.
MWUN, in a circular by its Deputy Secretary General, Erazua Oniha, on behalf of the Union’s Secretary General, Felix Akingboye, among others, said, “We receive a communique from the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, on the above subject, directing that all NLC affiliates commence a two-day nationwide warning strike to demonstrate our readiness for the indefinite strike later in the month and to also demand that the State vacates the illegally occupied National Headquarters of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW.
“This decision was reached at a meeting of the National Executive Council, NEC, of NLC, which was held on Thursday, August 31, 2023 to deliberate the way forward, consequent to the increase in the pump price of petrol by the FG without consideration to providing palliatives to cushion the definite effect on the Nigerian workers and citizens.
“Consequent to the foregoing, all National Administrative Council, NAC, Central Working Committee, CWC, NEC, and members in all ports, jetties, terminals, and Oil and Gas platforms nationwide are by this notice directed to commence on the immediate and total mobilisation of our members to effectively ensure their participation in the nationwide warning strike from Tuesday 5 to Wednesday 6 September 2023 .”
In the same vein, in the telecommunications sector, General Secretary of PTECSSAN, Okonu Abdullahi, told the media that members would fully participate in the strike action, saying “We operate in a very sensitive sector. What will happen for now is that because it will be a warning strike, any fault that occurred within the two days will not be attended to.”
Similarly, the Acting General Secretary of NUEE, Dominic Igwebike, informed that “the workers in the electricity sector were part of the decision to embark on the warning strike. Therefore, we are fully prepared to do as directed.”