The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has been thrown into a crisis situation as railway workers across the country are set to embark on a three (3) days warning strike, barring any last minute intervention by the federal government (FG).
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports railway workers across the country had declared a warning strike, which is expected to begin on Thursday 18th to Saturday 20th November 2021 if the FG should refuse to accede to the demands of the workers.
The strike warning has sparked tension as the NRC now battles on how to secure the critical infrastructure of railway assets – rail lines, locomotives and coaches – across the country.
A memo by NRC obtained by TNG that was sent to security agencies indicates that the Corporation is wary of the fate that might befall the rail lines, locomotives and coaches if the railway workers should eventually embark on the strike.
TNG reports the memo was titled: protection of railway assets in view of the impending warning strike action by the two in-house unions slated for Thursday 18th to Saturday 20th November 2021 and was signed by the Managing Director/CEO of NRC, Engr. F. E. Okhiria.
The memo was addressed to all train stations managers and coordinators, States Commissioner of Police, Commandant of Civil Defense and other paramilitary bodies, the Chairman, NRC Board, amongst others.
The memo requests all security outfits in the country to be on standby to provide adequate protection for the railway assets. The memo also directed that all revenue collected should be banked by Wednesday, 17th November, 2021, while revenue collected by the evening of Wednesday are to be secured appropriately.
The memo also directed shut down of train services appropriately by Midnight of Wednesday, 17th November, 2021 in the event the warning strike is not called off.
“With regards to the impending warning strike action by the two in-house unions slated for Thursday 18th to Saturday 20th November 2021, the Board and Management have met with the two in-house Unions to deliberate and resolve issues and are still in discussion to avert the proposed warning strike action.
“However, in the event of a strike action, you are please requested to do the following to ensure that Railway Assets are protected adequately: The RDMs, Managers and Coordinators are to prepare and shut down Train Services appropriately by Midnight of Wednesday, 17th November, 2021
“The Locomotive and Coaches should be moved to a safe place as directed below; All AKTS [Abuja Kaduna Train Service] Trains are to be returned to Idu. All WITS [Warri Itakpe Train Service] Train are to be returned to Agbor. For LITS [Lagos Ibadan Train Service], all Ibadan stock to stable at Omi-Adio Station, while Lagos stock is to stable at Mobolaji Johnson Station.
“All revenue collected should be banked by Wednesday, 17th November, 2021, while revenue Collected by the evening of Wednesday are to be secured appropriately. All RDMs, Manager and Coordinator should ensure that the Running Sheds and Workshop area are properly secured. All RDMs, Manager and Coordinator should also endeavor to alert all private security outfits under their jurisdictions to be on standby to ensure the safety of Railway assets.
“The Commissioner of Police and Commandant NSCDC, are to note the above and deploy their Officers and men accordingly. This measure is to prevent unforeseen developments like violence, vandalization, stealing, wanton destruction of properties, among other vices,” the memo reads.
Railway workers’ meeting with Amaechi ends in deadlock
The three-day warning strike action by workers of the NRC is set to hold following the failure of a truce meeting held last Saturday between the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi and the leadership of the two labour unions in the rail sector.
Recall that the two labour unions in the Nigerian rail sector, the Nigeria Union of Railway Workers (NUR) and the Senior Staff Association (SSA) NRC Branch had last Friday issued the 3-day warning strike notice over poor welfare packages for workers.
Speaking after the meeting with the Minister of Transportation, the President of the Senior Staff Association (SSA) NRC Branch, Comrade Aliyu Mainasara explained that the request by the Minister of Transportation that the workers should suspend their planned strike before he can talk on review of workers welfare were rejected by the workers.
According to Comrade Mainasara, “The meeting with the Minister of Transportation was deadlocked because he was asking us to first inform our members that the strike has been called off before he can discuss, with our efforts that have been put into reviewing workers salaries; but we rejected that suggestion.
“We won’t call off the strike because we want to listen to efforts that are being put into reviewing workers’ salaries in the rail sector. To us, that is a mere political statement. We are tired of listening to such statements. As we speak, the planned 3-day strike action billed to start on Thursday will go.”
Also speaking, Secretary-General of the NUR, Comrade Segun Esan explained that the Minister of Transportation left the meeting before any meaningful convergence could be achieved.
In his words, “The meeting with the Minister of Transportation was held but ended in a subtle deadlock because the Minister left the meeting before any meaningful convergence could be reached.”
A joint statement signed by President General, NUR, Comrade Innocent Ajiji, President SSA, NRC branch, Comrade Aliyu Mainasara, Secretary-General, NUR, Comrade Segun Esan and Secretary SSA, NRC branch, Comrade Kadiri Jibrin titled: “NOTICE AND DIRECTIVE TO EMBARK ON 3-DAY WARNING STRIKE NATIONWIDE“ had explained that a joint meeting held in Lagos on Wednesday, 10th November 2021, where the welfare of the workers of the Corporation was put before the NRC Management, has finally unanimously resolved that:
“All the district organs (DWCs) of the NUR and SSA should, as a matter of expediency, summon a general meeting of all the workers of their districts on Monday, 15th November 2021 at exactly 10.00 a.m prompt and, in unambiguous terms, notify the entire workers of the commencement of a 3-day warning strike beginning from midnight prior to Thursday, 18th through Saturday, 20th November 2021;
“That the DWCs of both the NUR and SSA should fuse up, resume, and function as their Districts’ Strike Action Committee prior to the commencement of the 3-day warning strike action and throughout the period of the strike and shall ensure full and total compliance of all the workers with the strike action as declared by the joint leadership of the two in-house unions;
“That the Chairmen and the Secretaries shall be solely responsible for the sitrep (situation report) of the days of the strike action and shall escalate same to the national secretariat of the union for its information and necessary action.
“That the strike activities, which must include fervent intercessory prayers for the success of the struggles, should be within the premises of the Corporation and must be essentially orderly, well-organized, and devoid of any destruction or violation of railway assets, our assets;
“That all the workers must comply and stay out of their offices but gather together behind their district union leaders to participate actively, peacefully, and consistently in the whole days of the strike without any fear or let;
“That this planned strike action is just to send a warning signal to the right quarters to heed our demands for improved welfare and standard condition of service and may be followed with a protracted strike action plan;
That the district leadership of the unions should always await further directives from Lagos from time to time as may be deemed expedient by the national officers of the unions;
“That every district must comply with this notice as any act prejudicial to this notice will be viewed very seriously and strictly by the leadership of the unions.”
STRIKE: We’re pushed to the wall, our salary not more than 40k per month – Railway workers
While the railway workers have threatened to go on the 3 day warning strike if their demand is not met by the authorities, they have said that their salary is not more than N40,000 a month, coupled with a lot of risks.
The workers could not reach an amicable solution in their meeting with the Minister of Transport in Lagos, weekend. The workers demanded enhanced emoluments, improved welfare and protection in their services.
President General, NUR, Comrade Ajiji, who is the leader of the railway workers in Nigeria, told the BBC Hausa Service in an interview, that they are embarking on the strike action because they were pushed to the wall.
According to him, “we met because of the things we wrote so that the government will act on it and understand. We talked about an increase in salary and allowances of workers, and also the improvement in the welfare of workers”.
He said in their meeting with the Minister, they could not reach an amicable solution.
“We couldn’t reach an amicable solution. We were very surprised, documents we submitted about four months ago, we thought the documents had reached the President and that all our demands must have been approved by the President, but it is only today the Minister was telling us that the President has travelled, that he will present our grievances to the President when he comes back.
“That means since all our talks with the Minister on salary increase, the President is yet to get the information. We started demanding a salary increase about 6 years ago. The Minister and the MD of Railway, included this in the budget proposal of 2021. When it was taken to the National Assembly, they removed the issue of our salary increment.
“This is why we now want to down tools. If the trains are not moving, definitely our cry will be heard by the President and he will surely do something about it,” Ajiji opined.
He further stated that the warning strike will commence on Thursday and ends on Saturday, after which they would resume and give the authorities sometime.
“But if nothing is done, we will embark on a total strike and that would be indefinite. We have been patient in vain, for so long. The salary of a railway worker, let me tell you, is not more than N30,000, N42 to N43,000. The locomotive engine combined with the coaches cost N1 billion.
“They will handover this train to someone receiving less than N30,000 to manage. How can he work with a peaceful mind? And a train carries over 800 passengers. The safety of these passengers is in the hands of the worker receiving less than N30,000. How can someone work comfortably,” Ajiji queried.
Look into the cry of railway workers – Train traveller tell FG
Meanwhile, a frequent user of the train service, who craved anonymity, has urged the FG to accede to the demands of the railway workers.
He appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to especially listen to the cry of railway workers, stressing that the strike could affect the progress of train operations in the country.
“We don’t need any breakdown of train operations at this point in Nigeria. The effect of such action will take us backward and this is not what we need now.
“We appeal to the FGN, FMOT and NRC Board as well as the Management to consider the request of her staffers. If we fail to see reasons to the request of these people, it could affect the progress of train operations in Nigeria and those who have been looking for the destruction of train operations in Nigeria will take advantage of the situation to carry out vandalization on the tracks that took the government a huge amount of loan to achieve. This may affect the progress made so far in the railway sector in Nigeria.
“Please do whatever it takes to stop this industrial action. Please PMB, only you can stop this situation now by giving the Staffers of NRC what they want. They are your children sir, extend your love to them as you had done to others recently. Your approval of their request will make them more efficient and more productive. We in this community believe in your capacity to approve their request because we know you are a good Father. We thank you for your consideration Sir.
“To the staffers of NRC, we advise you not to allow yourselves to be used for any act of vandalism by the enemies of progress of railway development in Nigeria. Do not be part of those that are capable of destroying what you laboured so hard to build. Your pains and pangs are noted and you have a good case at hand. We are begging the Federal Government to consider your case. Do not ignite any form of violence that could lead to the destruction of railway assets in your districts.
“This is a challenge and it is subject to change pretty soon. We have a listening President and he will surely listen to your cry. God bless you,” the train user stated.