The striking members of the organized labour, through their affiliate, Parliamentary Staff Union of Nigeria (PASAN) on Monday shut down the National Assembly and Federal Secretariat, Abuja
By Emma Ogbuehi
The striking members of the organized labour, through their affiliate, Parliamentary Staff Union of Nigeria (PASAN) on Monday shut down the National Assembly and Federal Secretariat, Abuja.
The action was in compliance with the indefinite strike action declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to press home demand for living wage for Nigerian workers.
The two gates of the Assembly complex were shut by the union with workers and other visitors unable to gain access.
Services to the complex including electricity and water supply to the two buildings housing the Senate and the House of Representatives as well as other facilities have been shut down by the union.
Committee activities scheduled for Monday such as revenue monitoring hearing by the House Committee on Finance were cancelled as a result of the strike.
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The strike began today in many parts of the country, putting government activities on hold.
After a four-hour meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly on Sunday evening in Abuja, the leadership of the Organised Labour declared that there was no going back on the nationwide industrial action slated to start today, Monday, June 3, 2024.
“For now, we don’t have the power to call off the strike, tomorrow (Monday) morning, the strike will kick off as we take their (NASS) plea asking us to call off the strike to our various organs,” said Festus Osifo, TUC president, after the meeting with NASS leadership.
Earlier, Osifo and his NLC counterpart, Joe Ajaero, met with Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas in Abuja.
The meeting was part of last-minute efforts by the legislators to persuade aggrieved workers to shelve their planned industrial action for a new minimum wage.
The Federal Government (FG) has however faulted the strike embarked, describing the exercise as “premature, ineffectual and illegal”.