Nationwide blackout, fuel scarcity loom

Nigeria may soon be thrown into darkness should electricity workers on the platform of National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE,  make good their threats to join the United Labour Congress nationwide strike.

National Daily gathered that the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, on Sunday said loading of products, including aviation fuel, would stop from today as affiliates of United Labour Congress of Nigeria, ULC, begin an indefinite strike.

The industrial action is fresh move by the United Labor Congress, ULC, a union that seeks to act as umbrella for both NLC and TUC. However, leaders of the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Employees, NUBIFIE, said members may not effectively join the strike today because the union just concluded its delegates conference weekend, warning, however, that members would fully join should the strike persist.

Recall that the United Labour Congress on Wednesday threatened that workers in the country would embark on an indefinite strike if the Federal Government failed to meet its demands by Friday.

The threat came barely two weeks after the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment responded to the workers through a letter, which the ULC said “largely failed to adequately address the critical issues raised in our demands.”

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In a statement signed by the President, ULC, Joe Ajaero, the union urged Nigerians to take precaution and stock up necessities, saying, “The strike will be very effective as we hope to cripple all modes of transportation within the nation; ensure a total blackout nationwide; cut off petroleum product supplies; and disrupt banking operations, which will make life a bit more difficult for Nigerians.

Ajaero said that the strike had become necessary having earlier issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government as a result of the decision of the Central Working Committee meeting of the congress on August 22, which expired on September 8, 2017.

The demands of the union include the immediate payment of all arrears of salaries owed workers at all levels of government without exception.

Ajaero added that other demands were that “the Federal Government honours its 2009 agreement with university lecturers under the umbrella of ASUU quickly and commences negotiations with them on new issues so that our universities will re-open.

The workers are also demanding an immediate review of the privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, among others.

But the Nigerian Labor Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, insisted yesterday that the ULC was fake, since it was not recognized by government, and urged Nigerians to ignore the group.

Similarly, the Federal Ministry of Labour also held on to its earlier position that the ULC was not recognized by the Federal Government.

Meanwhile, the Presidency, through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said last night that the Presidency stands by the Labour Minister’s position that the ULC is not recognized by the Federal Government.