Banks, ASUU, Poly Staff Unions, Others Join Nationwide Strike Order

,,,,The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have begun the nationwide strike they first announced a week ago.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday morning, the NLC shared circulars by affiliate unions, indicating their compliance with the directive.

The unions included the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP), the National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees, the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE), the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN), the National Union of Electricity Employees, and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP).

The strike comes on the heels of the physical assault NLC National President Joe Ajaero was subjected to in Imo State two weeks ago when he and other NLC members were in the South-East state for a demonstration over “non-payment of salaries and pensions for 44 months and violation of other labour rights,”.

The protest was viewed in some circles as an attempt to scuttle the re-election bid of Governor Hope Uzodimma in last Saturday’s governorship election.

,,,,,Following Ajaero’s ordeal, the organised labour called for a nationwide strike beginning today.

However, the National Industrial Court (NIC) restrained them from embarking on the strike action in the wake of the impasse with the Imo State Government.

In spite of the court order, the unions, in a statement on Monday, directed workers nationwide to withdraw their services at midnight