Workers of the Nigerian Railway Corporation on Thursday commenced a three-day warning strike, leaving passengers across the country stranded.
The strike commenced after the workers, under the aegis of the Nigerian Union of Railway Workers (NUR), had last weekend announced their intention to utilise the industrial action option following what it described as inattention to the poor welfare and working condition of its members.
In a bid to avert the strike, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, held a meeting in Lagos on Saturday with the union, but the meeting reportedly ended in deadlock.
The NUR leadership on Monday insisted that despite appeals and overtures, it would not renege on its stance to go on strike, saying they have been taken for granted despite the enormity of the work they do.
It was learnt that that government officials looked for the railway union leaders on Wednesday to serve a court injunction on the NUR not to begin the strike, but this was unsuccessful as key union officials went underground for the most part of the day.
On Thursday, the railway workers commenced the action which has paralysed activities in railway stations across the country.
Many Nigerians who visited train stations were left stranded as workers were not available to attend to them.
The NUR President-General, Innocent Ajiji, acknowledged that while “this strike will cause a drop in revenue for the sector”, he insisted that “but that is not the issue. Rather the issue is that government should listen to our just demands”.
