Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi has said that the forced shutdown of flight operation at airports and power installations across the country by the organized labour over the ongoing strike is disheartening.
Ajayi, who on his X handle made this known said the organized labour don’t have the right to shutdown critical national infrastructure like the power grid and other installations, while described this act as economic sabotage.
According to him, “The report of forced shutdown of flight operation at the airports and power installations across the country by labour activists is disheartening.
“NLC/TUC members who want to withdraw their services as a result of the declared industrial action have their rights to do so.
“What they can’t do, however, is to shutdown critical national infrastructure like the power grid and other installations. That is economic sabotage.
“The right to go on strike does not allow for criminal actions under any guise and assault on citizens who are going about their lawful activities”, the President’s added.
In a statement released by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) revealed that the Labour Union forcefully shut down national grid, resulting in black out nationwide, which occured at about 2.19am this morning, 3rd June 2024.
TCN reported that staff were driven away from the control room, some who resisted were beaten while some were wounded in the course of forcing them out of the control room and without any form of control or supervision in Benin Area Control Center.
Also, it was reported that the organised labour had on Friday directed Maritime workers to embark on the industrial action to demand increased minimum wage and reversal of recently increased electricity tarrifs.
Leadership reports that an official of the Union told journalists on Monday that all port formations in Port harcourt, Warri, Onne, Calabar and others have been shut down.
The union leader who did not want to be named, added that the ports would remain closed until officers are instructed otherwise by the labour leaders.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has warned workers who embarked on an indefinite strike this Monday morning, June 3, 2024 that they risk six months jail term.
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), gave the warning in a statement issued ahead of the nationwide strike on Sunday.
As it turned out, his warning did not dissuade labour leaders and aggrieved workers from proceeding with the action. As at the time of this report, economic activities had become paralysed across the country, with flights disrupted and the national grid shut down.
Fagbemi said Section 18 of the Trade Disputes Act requires a worker employed in any essential services to give their employer 15 days notice before ceasing their services and any who did not comply would be liable on conviction to a fine or imprisonment for six months.
He said the fundamental importance of the 15-day notice is underscored by the fact that Sections 41 and 42(1)(b) of the Act criminalize non-compliance with the provision.
He noted that the federal government had been engaging stakeholders in the tripartite committee to determine a new national minimum wage and had not declared an end to negotiation.
The AGF further noted that the proposed strike is a breach of an order of the National Industrial Court and ongoing mediators’ settlement efforts over issues connected with the subject matter of the order.