The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, electricity workers, on the platform of National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE, and National Union of Railway Workers, on Monday began a nationwide indefinite strike.
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The associations are all affiliates of United Labour Congress, ULC. But the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Employees, NUBIFIE, announced its disassociation from body just as it pulled out of the strike.
NUBIFIE’s position was contained in a statement signed and released by the body’s President Abdulrasheed Lukman.
It reads in part, “The congress in session did not discuss neither did it ratify any industrial action. Therefore, we dissociate NUBIFIE from the planned action of the ULC. The affiliation of NUBIFIE to ULC was done out of the context of the procedure and constitution of our great union and the congress in session resolved and passed a resolution for the return of NUBIFIE to its original affiliation, NLC, as contained in the union’s constitution.”
The Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, insisted ULC was not recognized by government, and urged Nigerians to ignore the group. Also, the Federal Ministry of Labour also held on to its earlier position that the ULC was not recognized by the Federal Government.
However, leaders of Steel and Engineering Workers of Nigeria, SEWUN, Iron and Steel Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ISSSAN, National Union of Lottery Agents and Employees,Nigerian Union of Mine Workers, Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals, Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Metal Product Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Fitters Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, National Union of Shop and Distributive Employees and Academic Staff Union of Research Institute, among others, said their members would fully comply with the strike directive by the national leadership of ULC.
Among ULC’s demands are; the immediate payment of all the arrears of salaries owed Nigerian workers at all levels of Government without exception, the government should repair roads leading to all the petroleum refineries and depots nationwide to avoid the present carnage of lives, wastage of products and properties on these roads.
Also, the Federal government should honours its 2009 agreement with university lecturers under the umbrella of ASUU quickly and commence negotiations with them on new issues so that our universities will re-open.
