Workers of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Railway Workers (NUR) and Senior Staff Association, Nigerian Railway Branch, have directed members to embark on a three-day warning strike over alleged poor welfare and standard condition of service.
They said the warning strike notice might be followed with a protracted strike action plan, if the Federal Government does not heed their demands.
In a joint meeting held in Lagos by the leadership of both unions, it was unanimously resolved that all the district organs should, as a matter of expediency, summon a general meeting of all the workers in their districts on Monday (tomorrow), to notify them of the commencement of the warning strike beginning from midnight of Thursday, 18 through Saturday, 20 2021.
A jointly signed communique by the President-General of NUR, Innocent Ajiji and his counterpart, President, Senior Staff Association, Nigerian Railway Branch, Aliyu Mainasara, including union secretaries, urged all workers to ensure full compliance throughout the strike period.
They urged all workers to comply and stay out of their offices, but gather together behind their district union leaders to participate actively, peacefully, and consistently throughout the three days, without any fear or let.
The planned strike action, the unions said, was to send a warning signal to the right quarters to heed their demands for improved welfare and standard condition of service.
They argued that Nigerian railway workers receive the lowest and the poorest salaries out of all the parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Transport.
The unions urged that the strike activities, whichever way each district wants to implement it, which must include fervent intercessory prayers for the success of the struggles, should be held within the corporation premises, must be orderly and devoid of any destruction or violation of railway assets.
The Guardian.
