Passengers stranded as railway workers cripple operations nationwide
Activities at train stations across the nation have been crippled following the warning strike embarked upon by railway workers.
The Senior Staff Association of the Railway and the Nigeria Union of Railway Workers (NUR), declared a three-day strike to demand increased wages.
READ ALSO: Train services to shut down nationwide as workers plan 3-day warning strike next week
Several meetings with the management and the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, ended in a deadlock with the unions insisting on the strike.
The strike has led to the shutdown of train services across the country including the Abuja-Kaduna, Lagos-Ibadan, Warri-Itakpe, as well as the Lagos-Ogun intercity train services in Lagos.
Journalists who visited the NRC headquarters at Ebute-Metta, Lagos, saw the workers marching on rail tracks carrying placards with inscriptions such as ‘Good salaries bring better results, bad salaries kill morale’, ‘Railway workers’ Salaries are the poorest and baddest under FMOT,” among others.
Many passengers who were at the Mobolaji Johnson Train station were turned back.
The Abuja-Kaduna train service was equally grounded as commuters were seen returning back home.
Mr Pascal Nnorli, the Manager Abuja-Kaduna Train Service, told Daily Trust that the strike has crippled all train activities, adding that the NRC management will further engage the unions to resolve the matter.
He also indicated that the matter may also involve the Salaries and Wages Commission who has the constitutional power to review the work condition of federal government workers.
Punch reports that some residents of Ibadan who had planned to board the train to Lagos on Friday said they would have to travel by road because of the development.
One of them, who identified himself as Ayo Adebowale, said the workers scheduled the strike for when passengers would feel its effects more.
He said, “Weekends are the busiest time at the train stations. I will have to go by road and this will affect many others. I just pray that the issue causing them to strike will be resolved.”
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