The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, on Monday barricaded all entrances into Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, stopping workers from entering into the premises.
NLC and Trade Union Congress, TUC, had directed Nigerians workers to begin an indefinite strike following inconclusiveness of discussions on a new minimum wage.
The labour unions had given the federal government May 31 deadline to approve and implement a new minimum wage.
Last minute intervention on Sunday night by the National Assembly to prevent the nationwide strike was futile.
The federal government has proposed N60,000 as the new minimum wage, while labour is demanding N495,000.
At the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, where almost all the state ministries are located, workers were locked outside the gates by labour union leaders.
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There was police presence.
The strike affected business activities in and around the secretariat, as some shops around the secretariat were not opened while the others were doing skeletal businesses.
At the Lagos State Television, LTV, at Agidingbi, Ikeja, unionists also sent most workers back home.
A staff of LTV, who pleaded anonymity, said that only senior staff of the organisation were allowed into the premises.
The Lagos State chairman of the NLC, Mr Funmi Sessi, who addressed workers at the secretariat, said that the union was determined to ensure compliance with the strike directive.
In Katsina, the state chapter of the NLC vowed to ensure total compliance with the directive.
The statecChairman of the NLC, Mr Husaini Hamisu, told newsmen that an NLC monitoring team would continue to go round government and private organisations to sensitise workers about the need to join the strike.
“We are not going to engage them in a forceful manner but in a mature way so they will understand the importance of the strike.
“I want to assure you that this indefinite strike will continue until workers’ demands are met by the federal government,” he said.
At the federal and state secretariats in Katsina, workers were seen walking around, while some management staff were working secretly.
Also, schools were closed while normal activities continued at markets, fuel stations and motor parks.
Source: NAN
