Workers Protest Labour Leaders Arrest In Enugu

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has condemned the arrest of labour leaders in Enugu over plan to protest non-payment of the new minimum wage.

ASCSN Secretary General, Solomon Onaghinon, said in Lagos yesterday, that NLC President Abdulwaheed Omar and TUC leader Peter Esele were among those allegedly detained by the state government.

“The government should guard against anything that will incense the workers. It is not right to have held hostage any of the labour leaders.  The minimum wage issue affects all the states, it is not done in Enugu alone,’’ he said.

Onaghinon advised the government to settle issues with the workers and labour leaders in order to avoid chaos in the state.

Similarly, TUC in a statement warned that the arrest of the labour leaders could lead to crisis in Enugu.

The statement signed by Mr John Kolawole, TUC General Secretary, said that it was wrong to suppress the rights of the workers.

It said the workers, led by Esele and Omar, were preparing for a peaceful rally when they were held hostage at the Gold Valley Hotel, New Haven, Enugu.

The TUC  urged the Federal Government to caution State Governments against anything that would destabilise democracy.

The NLC had given a 14-day ultimatum to the Enugu State Government to commence the payment of the new wage.

The ultimatum expired on Sept. 7 after a three-day warning strike.

The rally was expected to be attended by civil servants, factory workers, electricity workers, road transport workers and civil society organisations.

Meanwhile, Labour has declared indefinite strike for workers in Enugu  State over non-implementation of the new national minimum wage of N18,000.

Addressing the aggrieved workers yesterday at a rally at the Freedom Square, Enugu state secretariat, the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdul-Waheed Omar, explained that the strike would involve the private sector, including aviation, banks, Road Transport Workers, among others.

Maintaining that the strike would cripple the entire economy of Enugu State, Comrade Omar stated that the industrial action which took effect from September 8, 2011 was triggered off by the inability of the state government to implement the new national minimum wage within the 14-day ultimatum given to it by the organized labour.

He, therefore, made it clear to the Enugu State government, as well as other state governments across the country that payment of the new minimum wage is not a privilege, but the right of workers in Nigeria generally.

Governor Chime, he further said, was not forthcoming to dialogue with the organized labour on how the new minimum wage would be implemented in the over all interest of workers in the state.

His words: “Governor Chime has not responded in any way. Therefore, we are declaring indefinite strike action to press home workers’ demand for the implementation of the new minimum wage by the state government”.

Enugu State, he went on, was viewed by the organized labour as a test case, adding that it would spill over to other states in the South East zone if Governor Chime fails to implement to the letter, the new national minimum wage.

The NLC President, however, called for peace between workers and labour leaders in the state for the strike to succeed in the state. He also used the forum to appeal to all residents of the state to bear with labour over the indefinite strike as banks, aviation and other offices would be under lock and key throughout the period of the strike.