The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has shut down three commercial banks in Rivers State over their failure to comply with the two-day warning strike action declared by the congress.
This was as the first day of the warning strike witnessed success in the State with banks and courts closed.
The Rivers State secretariat complex was opened for work, but activities at the state offices were discouraging as few workers turned up for duty.
Commercial banks around Rumuokoro, Aba-road, and Choba areas of Port Harcourt were totally shut down following the directive of the organised labour.
It was gathered that a monitoring team of the NLC in the state had moved around the state to enforce total compliance to the directive.
It was learnt that the team had shut down operations at three new generation banks in the State for failing to comply to the directive.
The Chairman of NLC in Rivers State, Alex Agwanwor, who led the monitoring team, noted that two of the affected banks are on the Olu-Obasanjo Road, while one of the banks is on the Ikwerre Road axis.
He urged workers in the state to remain resolute in keeping to the directive of the national body, adding that it is for the good of the nation.
Agwanwor said: “The strike commenced well in Port Harcourt today. It witnessed total compliance. The courts were shut, based on the directives.
“We were on monitoring today to see the level of compliance. Workers complied. Banks were shut, but about three banks that did not comply, we shut them down on our own. The banks are at Olu Obasanjo and Ikwerre road.
“We urge workers to remain resolute. The strike is just for two days and we will stop, then await directive from the national body.”
Meanwhile, members of the NLC in Bayelsa State, also yesterday stayed away from their places of work in compliance with the two-day nationwide warning strike declared by NLC.
In the early hours of the day, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) workers in the State did not observe the national strike as the TUC had pulled out of the action, but they eventually left their offices for home.
While public schools were shut, it was observed that private schools were in session across Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
There was also partial compliance in the banking sector as some banks opened their gates to customers.
The state NLC leadership had issued a statement announcing that it was embarking on a two-day warning strike beginning from yesterday, in line with the national directive of the congress “to press home its demands to the Federal Government.”
The statement signed by the NLC chairman, Barnabas Simon, and secretary, John Angese, urged all workers to comply by staying in their respective houses on Tuesday and Wednesday.