While the National Assembly had stepped in at the last minute to avoid the industrial action declared on Friday, the discussions ended in a stalemate, leading to the commencement of the strike.
The industrial action has affected businesses and critical services across the country including schools, hospitals, and power supply as workers complied with the Trade Union Congress and Nigeria Labour Congress order.
From River State in the South-South region to Kaduna in Nigeria’s North-West, the workers’ actions grounded economic activities.
Activities were halted at airports across the country including Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Lagos.
At the Port Harcourt Airport, as early as 7:00 am, airport workers under the aegis of the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals ,ANAP, and the National Union of Air Transport Employees ,NUATE, blocked access into the airport for vehicles.
This left passengers stranded, forcing some of them to come down from their vehicles and trek into the airport. However, flights haven’t been disrupted and there is a heavy security presence.
It was a similar situation in Lagos State as passengers. At the airport, some stranded passengers were captured with luggage in hand. The aviation unions locked the gate, denying staff and passengers access to the terminal.
At the Abuja Airport, there is an unusual quietness. A few passengers were seen at one of the entrances into the terminal as doors were locked. Inside the airport terminal was empty. No staff were in sight. The airline stands were also empty.
Activities were equally paused in schools. Across the country, students who were already in school were sent back.
In the nation’s capital Abuja, clusters of forlorn public school students were spotted returning home.
The situation was the same in Oyo, Cross River, and other states. In Kaduna, students of the Kaduna Polytechnic were locked out of their campus by labour officials in compliance.
As early as 7 am, union officials stormed the Unguwan Rimi Campus of the school. They drove the students out of the institution and locked the gate.
Labour leaders in the state also sealed the main gate of the National Ear Care Centre. They chased out the workers and also prevented out patients from getting into the hospital.
At the State Secretariat in the Kaduna State capital where about seven ministries are located, workers were locked outside of the gate by the labour union leaders. The main gate leading to the secretariat is under lock, with no going in or coming out.
Early Monday, the national grid was shut down by workers, throwing the nation into a blackout.
The General Manager ,Public Affairs, of the Transmission Company of Nigeria ,TCN, Ndidi Mbah said the nationwide blackout was due to staff of the TCN, under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Workers .NUEE, completely shutting down all power substations across the country at approximately 2:19 am on Monday, causing the national grid system to drop to zero megawatts.
Kaduna is not the only state where workers are complying with the labour order.
Members of the NLC and TUC in Edo State are also joining their colleagues across the nation. They have locked up the State Secretariat in Benin City, shutting out civil servants from the complex.
The unions say even though the state government recently increased the minimum wage to N70,000, they had to comply with the national body’s directive, maintaining that the strike is not targeted at the state.
In Imo State, officials of the NLC have locked out civil servants at the State Secretariat in Owerri the state capital.
The situation is not different in Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre Lagos as government offices have been shut.
The Lagos State Chairman of the NLC says the union is out to ensure compliance with the directive issued by its directive issued by executives.
Neighbouring Ogun State is also experiencing a crippling of economic activities. The Federal Secretariat in Abeokuta, the state capital, is under lock and key. Workers stayed away from office in compliance with directives of the national leaderships of NLC and TUC.
The NLC Secretariat in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, was also deserted. Students who turned up at school were sent back by their teachers in compliance with labour’s directive.
Workers in Cross River also joined the strike. Public schools did not also operate as the teachers and other states complied with the strike.
The NLC chairman in the state stressed that the Federal Government has refused to be realistic in its actions especially as it concerns the workers. Both fuel stations, schools, and banks across the metropolis complied with the exercise.