Confusion in Enugu over suspension of strike

There was confusion in Enugu yesterday morning over the position of the strike, which was reportedly suspended last weekend following the intervention of the Anglican and Catholic bishops of Enugu Dioceses alongside traditional leaders in the state.

Most workers actually did not go to work following a statement issued by the workers forum that workers should neglect the bishops and NLC directive to resume work, stating that workers would be addressed on Tuesday afternoon on the true position of things.

It took the intervention of the national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, which sent a representative to urge workers to respect the decision to suspend the strike after Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma of the Enugu Anglican Church was booed by the workers at the NLC office near New Market Enugu where the workers gathered.

National Vice President of the NLC, Mr Emmanuel Ajoku, who said he was sent by the national president, recalled that strike became an option after negotiation with government failed.
Said he: “The NLC president, Abdulwaheed Omar asked me to come and tell you that the NLC can never abandon Enugu workers, that you should always believe and trust and that we shall be victorious at the end.
“The strike action has been suspended for three weeks. The court refused to grant injunction to government but gave 28 days for both parties to return to the negotiating table, the court also said there should be no victimization.

“We want to warn that any form of victimization against any worker in Enugu State in the next three weeks and after shall be resisted; we are battle ready. We singled out Enugu and that is the only state in the South-east we are handling now.
“We advice that you give us your cooperation; the strike would have been suspended a long time now but for the issue of victimization. If any worker is suspended in Enugu, the whole NLC in Nigeria will go on strike.”

Mr Ajoku, who said Enugu airport would have been shut down in continuation of the strike but for the court ruling, said the orgnized labour would not accept any awarded minimum wage from Enugu State, “what we want is a negotiated wage agreed and signed by both parties.”
He assured the workers that the national leadershiop of the NLC will return to the state in the next 20 days to see the level of discussion, insisting that if nothing was agreed by then the strike would resume.