..NRC joins strike action

By Ezra Ukanwa, Abuja

In a surprising turn of events, aviation workers and their union have defied the strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), leading to ongoing aviation activities across the country.

Recall that the NLC and TUC on Monday ordered their affiliates to withdraw their services nationwide from midnight on November 14, 2023.

The strike is to express their grievances over the maltreatment of the NLC president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and others on November 1st in Owerri the Imo state capital.

Our correspondent who was at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja, observed that despite the general atmosphere of support for the NLC and TUC strike, aviation workers have chosen to maintain regular operations, ensuring that travellers are not left stranded during this period of industrial action.

The investigation also revealed that all scheduled flights have so far been operated without hitches.

Reacting to the issue, the General Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Ocheme Aba, in a telephone conversation confirmed to our colleagues that the unions would not participate in the impending strike on Tuesday.

He, however, told our correspondent that if the strike lingered, the unions may join the action in the coming days.

“None of us is joining the action immediately. But, we will look at how events unfold to know if we will join the action later, but as it stands, we are not joining in the action immediately”, he said.

Furthermore, a Union official of NUATE, Comrade Hycent Okunbo, who spoke to our correspondent over the phone said that while aviation operations remained unaffected, certain employees without duties at the airport chose to remain at home.

Corroborating, the secretary-general of the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Comrade Abdulrazak Saidu, confirmed that Aviation unions affiliated with the labour movement have not yet convened to strategize on implementing the directive from their parent bodies.

NRC joins strike action

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Railway Workers (NRC) has announced its decision to participate in the ongoing indefinite strike.

The NRC workers have declared that their actions are by the organized labour’s directive for an indefinite strike set to start on Tuesday.

A circular, which was signed by the Secretary-General, of the Nigerian Union of Railway Workers (NURW), Comrade Segun Esan, said that the corporation was aligning with the indefinite strike as called by the organised labour.

The circular was equally served the Managing Director; NRC, Managing Director; RPMCL Kaduna, Director Admin, Commissioner of Police, NRC Police Command, Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); NRC Command, Chairman/Secretary NUR and the General Secretary; Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC); Abuja, among others.

Esan explained that the decision to join the strike was a sequel to the virtual National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, conveyed by the labour congress which was held on Monday.

The circular directed all the workers of NRC to join the nationwide strike action from the zero-zero hour of Tuesday, November 14, 2023, by staying back at home and away from their offices.

The circular also urged the NRC management and its security apparatus to resume the spotlight to lock, secure and protect all the fixed and movable assets of the corporation, while the strike action lasted.

Esan reiterated that all the offices, stations, workshops, and entire premises of the corporation would remain locked and inaccessible from the zero-zero hour of Tuesday till otherwise directed by the congress.

“This is a critical moment that we all must rise in strong and indivisible unison to salvage the credibility and integrity of the Nigerian workers who have for long been seized in the jugular by the State and its coercive instruments,” he said.