PHOTOS: Ministries shut in Abuja as labour begins strike

Offices at the federal secretariat in Abuja were closed on Monday following the strike declared by organised labour. 

On Friday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) declared an indefinite strike over a new minimum wage and the recent hike in electricity tariff.

On Monday, several workers were turned back at the gates of their offices in the federal capital territory (FCT).

An employee of the aviation ministry told TheCable that electricity to the building was cut off at midnight.

He expressed displeasure over the “federal government’s unwillingness” to come to a “favourable” agreement with the unions.

“We are very unhappy with the situation of things. I don’t know why the federal government is not cooperating with the labour unions,” he said.

“Left to me, I think about N200,000 will be good for the minimum wage so if they can take their offer to that, it will be good.”

A guard at the ministry of foreign affairs said there has been strict compliance with the strike, adding that “nobody is being allowed to go in”.

At the ministry of science and technology, TheCable saw representatives of the labour unions enforcing the strike.

One of the representatives who identified himself as Idris, said the federal government does not have to agree with the exact amount demanded by organised labour.

“The N60,000 offer they made is just unreasonable. They should start making offers from at least N100,000 and above. In 1982, civil servants were earning N120. If you look at the value of the money now, it’s N240,000,” he said.

“So why can’t the federal government present something reasonable? The N60,000 they offered, is it for transport, feeding or children’s school fees? It is not enough to sustain us.”