Members of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have on Monday commenced its five-day industrial action in Kaduna state with protest against the recent disengagement of over 7,000 civil servants at the state and local governments by the state government.
In solidarity with the protest by NLC, aviation workers have shut down operations of Kaduna International Airport (KIA) effective Sunday midnight.
The workers, under the aegis of National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), said the airport would remain shut for the period of the warning strike.
Also, total electricity blackout followed a warning by National Union of Electricity Employees, an affiliate of NLC, directing its workers to join the strike action in Kaduna beginning Sunday midnight.
Head, Corporate Communication of Kaduna Electric, Abdulazeez Abdullahi, made this known in a statement titled, ‘power failure due to NLC’s industrial action.’
It reads;
The Management of Kaduna Electric regrets to inform its customers in Kaduna State that the service interruption currently being experienced in the State is as a result of the industrial action embarked upon by the Nigerian Labour Congress.
In compliance with the NLC directive, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN has knocked off all our 33KV lines in Kaduna State. Consequently, we are appealing to all communities, security agencies and vigilante groups to be vigilant so that men of underworld will not cash in on the situation to vandalise power supply installations. Any suspicious movement around distribution sub-stations (transformers) should be reported to the relevant security agency.
We have the collective responsibility to protect these critical national assets in our neighbourhood. We once again appeal to both parties in the dispute to strive at an amicable resolution for normalcy to return.
Meanwhile, National NLC Chairman, Ayuba Wabba, during the protest in the early hours of Monday, said due process was not observed in the recent disengagement of the workers from Local Government Service, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), and Primary Health Care Agency.
He said further that all the unions including Student Unions and pensioners are part of the protest as they are all directly affected by the disengagement of workers.
Wabba stated;
All those that are here today are those that are directly affected. The students are here. The children of those workers that have been thrown out of their job and were not been paid, they are here with us.
The pensioners that were not being paid are here with us. They claim that local government employees were consulted. The Local Government Employees are here today, they have issued a statement to say that statement was false.
He added;
All leadership of public sector unions are here. It is only Kaduna State of all the 36 states of the Federation that threw workers out of their jobs without.
Other affiliate unions including National Union of Petroleum Employees of Nigeria (NUPENG), National Union of Electricity Employees of Nigeria (NUEE), National Union Of Textile, Tailoring and Garment Workers of Nigeria are also participating in the protest.
Meanwhile, earlier on Sunday long queues surfaces at petrol stations in various parts of Kaduna State, especially in the metropolis and other surrounding towns.
Motorists besieged filling stations in what can be described as panic buying of fuel ahead of the planned industrial action by NLC and its affiliate unions in the state.
See some videos from the protest below;
VIDEO: Heavy gridlock from St. Gerald Hospital to Kaduna Central Market as NLC begins enforcement of five-days warning strike on Monday. 🎥: Israel Bulus#Kadunastrike pic.twitter.com/brGKSOL7yp
— LEADERSHIP NEWS (@LeadershipNGA) May 17, 2021
We marched massively today alongside the rank and file of Kaduna workers despite the empty threats from the pseudo tyrant of @GovKaduna HELL Rufai @elrufai . Workers create wealth, hence they deserve a decent working environment and a living wage NOT to be SACKED. #Kadunastrike pic.twitter.com/wuvoOibSIz
— #FreeSowore (@TIBmovement) May 17, 2021
At first some say is a joke that the governor will not allow it, they forget that the power of the people is greater than the people in power, some say why kaduna? let me also tell u when kaduna sneeze the country catch cold.#endbadgovernanceinnigeria #Kadunastrike pic.twitter.com/zL2i1Ktgha
— Mai-Addini Zasan (@Bilshan18) May 17, 2021
National Pesident of the National Union of Textile Gaments and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), Comrade John Adaji, speaks to LEADERSHIP TV on the ongoing strike action by NLC in Kaduna on Monday. 🎥: Isaiah Benjamin#Kadunastrike pic.twitter.com/YZPbK4sDBs
— LEADERSHIP NEWS (@LeadershipNGA) May 17, 2021
