On Tuesday, Bauchi State experienced partial compliance with the indefinite strike called upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).
Following the assault on NLC President Joe Ajaero during a workers’ protest in Owerri, Imo State, by the police, the NLC issued the strike order.
Despite this directive, academic activities and business transactions carried on uninterrupted in schools, hospitals, and banks across the metropolis, indicating some workers’ defiance of the NLC’s call.
For example, both Government Day Junior Secondary School, Gwallameji, and Sa’adu Zungur Secondary School in Bauchi continued with their regular academic schedule, with Abubakar Sadiq, an instructor at one of the schools, stating that they had not received any formal written instructions regarding the strike. He clarified that, as they are under the state government, they would await a circular instructing them to participate in the strike, and until then, normal academic activities would persist.
Conversely, the entrance gate of the State Secretariat remained locked, with only NLC members visible outside the premises. The Chairman of NLC in the state, Kabiru Inuwa, addressed the press at the State Secretariat, disclosing that union officials had visited various establishments, including government offices, ministries, departments, and agencies, to ensure full compliance with the strike.
Inuwa maintained that the industrial action achieved a 75% compliance rate in the state.