There was fair compliance by Anambra State workers today, to the directive of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, for a two-day warning strike in protest over the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.
TNC correspondent who monitored the industrial action reports that most government offices in the state capital of Awka, witnessed about 70% compliance.
Places visited included Jerome Udoji State Secretariat, State Judiciary, ASUBEB office, Anambra State Physical Planning Board, ANSPPB, among others.
At the places visited it was observed that majority of the offices were under lock and key, whereas few workers who were seen were directed to leave the premises by the NLC monitoring team, which they obeyed.
However, banks and other financial institutions were all open to business despite the directive from the national body for them to shut down.
The State NLC Chairman, Comrade Humphrey Nwafor who led the NLC monitoring team, observed that the compliance level is appreciable, adding that what the workers are saying is that government must be responsible and address the issues stated by Labour.
“This is a national issue owing to the decision of the Federal Government through its policy removing the fuel subsidy, to plunge the Nigerian masses into untold hardship.
“As workers, we are badly affected by the economic crisis visited on Nigerians as a result of the hike in the pump price of petrol, all in the name of subsidy removal.
“We had earlier written to the federal government to adjust our wages automatically inline with the existing economic realities but that has fallen on deaf hears.
“It is over three months now that fuel subsidy had been removed and fuel has equally been increased twice by over 300% , with a price shift from ₦187 to over ₦620 but salaries have remained the same.
“Workers and Nigerians at large, within this period have gone through excruciatingly tough times. It has been stories of mass suffering and life has been made almost meaningless to the common citizens.
“Everything has been nauseating and hunger is now a way of life among Nigerians.
”The message is clear, the workers have had enough of the unfair treatment by the government and issues this two-warning strike as a precursor to the indefinite strike that will happen, should the government remain insensitive to the people’s plight.
“So far, all the places we monitored complied whereas those who we met in office obeyed and moved out of their offices immediately we directed them to do so,” he said.
On the issue of banks, Comrade Nwafor said they will do a detailed report on the those flouting the NLC directive, to the national body for the necessary sanctions to be meted to them.
He further expressed disappointment that the banks disobeyed the directive, considering the fact that their national body directed them to comply.
According to him, the hardship that the fuel subsidy removal plunged Nigerians into is suffered by all and the struggle to get government to begin to do things right, must be a collective one.
Some other labour leaders who spoke to our correspondent included the State Secretary, Nigerian Union of Public Service, Reportorial, Secretarial Data Processors and Allied Workers, Comrade Ifeanyichukwu Ejiofor and Secretary, Joint Public Service Negotiating Council,(Trade Union Side), Comrade Uche Nwoye.
They regretted that the decision of the government has worsened the condition of the Nigeria worker, who suffers the most from the policy.
Meanwhile, markets and other private businesses in the town were open to business.
