Cross River: NLC strike partly cripples economic activities as workers shut govt offices, banks

From Judex Okoro, Calabar

The 2-day warning strike called upon by the national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has partly crippled economic activities as workers shut government offices and banks in Cross River State.

The strike, which was called to protest the harsh economic activities, was largely complied by workers in the formal sector who boycotted work.

Checks by Daily Sun showed that most government offices at the Old Secretariat, New Secretariat as well as the Federal Secretariat were under lock and key.

Similarly, virtually all banks in the state capital were also shut and customers had to resort to Point Of Sales Services (POS) to carry out their financial transactions.
Despite the strike action, most major markets within the metropolis, filling stations and others in the informal sectors of the economy were open for business.

Also opened for business were those in the transport sector of the state’s economy who defied the strike and continued to offer services to members of the public.

Nkoyo Andem, a vegetale seller in Watt Market within the Calabar Metropolis said they are not part of the labour movement and so the strike does not affect them.

In the education sector, especially at the tertiary level, some students of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) and University of Cross River (UNICROSS) were seen going to school and our reporter has it on good authourity that lectures went on normal in the above institutions.

Mangel Edidiong, A POS operator within the city, said they were prepared for the strike as they made enough withdrawals ahead of the two day warning protest adding that they are attending to customers even as withdrawals as low due to harsh economy.

Addressing reporters on the success of the protest, Vice Chairman of NLC in Cross River Lawrence Achuta said the directive was for workers to stay at home on Tuesday and Wednesday and the workers complied.

Achuta added that they also sent out a taskforce team that went round the state to ensure strict compliance with the directive from the national body.

Also speaking, Executive Director, International Training, Research and Advocacy Project (ITRAP), Dr MacFarlane Ejah, said there was no better time for organised labour to embark on the warning strike.

According to Ejah, the present administration in the nation was getting close to its 100 days in office and there was no clear framework showing where it was taking the nation to.