Banks, public schools, and government offices were closed in Osun and Ondo states as workers complied with the directive of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to commence a nationwide indefinite strike.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NLC had ordered workers to begin the indefinite nationwide strike following the May 31 deadline for the Federal Government to approve and implement a new National Minimum Wage. However, last-minute intervention by the National Assembly on Sunday night to prevent the strike was unsuccessful, as the meeting with government representatives and labor leaders ended in a deadlock.
The Federal Government had insisted on a new minimum wage of N60,000, while labor unions demanded N495,000, which they considered acceptable.
NAN correspondents monitoring the situation in Akure and Osogbo, the capital cities of Ondo and Osun states respectively, reported that most banks did not open, and federal and state secretariats as well as other government establishments were closed, with workers complying with the labor unions’ directives.
Pupils of public primary and secondary schools who had arrived were sent back home by teachers, as the schools remained shut.
In Akure, a bank staff member stated that the closure was in compliance with the labor unions’ directives, and they could not say when they would reopen until receiving further instructions.
Muriana Balogun, a local government staff member in Ikare-Akoko, called on the Federal Government to address the labor unions’ demands to avoid the strike’s impact on the nation’s economy. He noted that the strike had affected government workers, public schools, and even banks, with only INEC officials working for voter registration.
In Osogbo, the Osun State Government Secretariat was locked, with security personnel stationed at the gates to enforce the strike directive. The NLC and TUC monitoring and enforcement committee ensured that workers complied and did not have access to the secretariat or other local government offices.