Kaduna-Polytechnic Students Locked-Out Of Campus As Labour Implements Nationwide-Strike (Videos)

Kaduna-Polytechnic Students Locked-Out Of Campus As Labour Implements Nationwide-Strike (Videos)

Academic activities at the Kaduna State Polytechnic were halted on Monday as Labour officials enforced the ongoing indefinite nationwide strike declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

Union representatives arrived early at the polytechnic on Monday morning and asked the students to leave the Unguwan Rimi Campus.

The officials escorted the students out of the premises and secured the gate, as reported by Channels Television.

Recall that the organized labour had announced the strike on Friday, citing the Federal Government’s delay in finalizing and passing a new National Minimum Wage Act and reversing the electricity tariff increase to N65/kWh.

A statement issued after their meeting last weekend, jointly signed by the NLC President and TUC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero and Comrade Festus Osifo, stated, “Today’s meeting further demonstrated the unseriousness and apparent contempt with which the Nigerian state holds the demands of Nigerian workers and people. No Governor was present and Ministers were absent except the Minister of state for Labour and Employment, who doubles as a conciliator.

“There was none present on the side of the government with appropriate authority to commit them to any outcome; in essence, the Government abandoned the meeting. We consider this disdainful and show a lack of commitment to a successful National Minimum Wage negotiation exercise.

“You will all recall that during the last May Day celebration on the 1st of May 2024, we issued a clear ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the conclusion of this critical exercise by the end of the month. However, there has been no significant progress or commitment from the government towards meeting this demand.

“We also demanded a reversal of the last hike in electricity tariff from N225/kwh back to N65/kWh and stoppage of the apartheid categorization of consumers into Bands. We carried out a nationwide one-day protest on the 13th day of May 2024, giving the government until the last day of this month to take action, but the government has not entirely shown any positive response despite the national outrage at this insensitive hike.

“Nigerian workers, who are the backbone of our nation’s economy, deserve fair and decent wages that reflect the current economic realities. It is disheartening that despite our repeated calls and the clear ultimatum issued, the government continues to neglect its responsibility to the workforce. It has, rather than engage in a dialogue, persistently raised its attack dogs to seek to denigrate and intimidate trade union leaders.

“It continues to remain our belief that the people ought to be the only reason for governance and nothing else. The government must therefore seek the welfare of the people at all times, and refusal to put the people first compels all patriots to take the right step in assisting the government to govern well.

“The hike in electricity tariff impoverishes further the already suffering people and denies them the right to decent living. Instead of taking remedial action or engaging in a meaningful dialogue, Nigerians were visited with a barrage of the usual propaganda.

“In light of this persistent inaction, we, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), hereby issue a notice of commencement of an indefinite nationwide strike to the Federal Government.

“We reiterate that since the National Minimum Wage negotiation exercise has not been concluded and the agreed wage passed into law; the hike in electricity tariff not reversed and categorization of consumers into Bands not stopped as demanded; Nigerian workers are compelled by these failures to embark on an indefinite nationwide industrial action beginning on Monday, the 3rd of June 2024 to press home our demands.”