Breaking: Reprive as railway workers call off strike

Nigerian railway workers have called off their warning strike less than 48 hours after embarking on a nationwide three-day industrial action.
The decision to end the strike was taken after the leaders of the Nigeria Railway Workers Union (NUR) and the Senior Staff Association had met in Abuja with the board of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Federal Ministry of Transportation and the NRC management.
This is contained in a communique issued on Friday jointly signed by Innocent Ajiji (for NUR), Aliyu Mainasara (SSA) and Dr Monsurat Omotayo (NRC management), a copy of which was obtained by Newstrends from the union.
Earlier, Managing Director of the NRC, Engr Fidet Okhiria, had appealed to the workers to return to work, saying their demands were receiving accelerated consideration.
Part of the resolutions is that a committee be immediately set up to review the workers’ condition of service.
It was also agreed that all train crew members should be given insurance cover along with the passengers and the goods in transit.
Okhiria said during a press conference in Lagos on Friday that the Federal Government through the National Salaries, Incomes & Wages Commission (NSIWC) had almost concluded the process of increasing the workers’ salaries.
He said, “The workers are on three-day warning strike. The management met with them several times, the board met with them and the Minister even met with them and we thought issues have been resolved, only to come back and say they are going on warning strike.
“As they are on strike, we are still discussing with them. We are working hard to make sure that they come back as soon possible. In communication, the way people understand it is different from others.
“So we are now talking to them to understand with us and understand with government and let them cut short the warning strike. Who is government? We are all government and it would not be proper, that now that the government is bringing us to limelight, we use our hands to disrupt what the government is doing.
We can see the attention railway is getting now. Six, four, five years back, that attention was not there. The attention is there because government is putting efforts to make sure railway is viable in Nigeria.
“Money is not everything. People and joy and what we provide for humanity override money. So we will work so that their welfare would be better off, for all Nigerians, not just railway workers.”
The workers had commenced the strike on Thursday, demanding an increase in salary and better welfare package. They also protested at Idu Station in Abuja on Thursday.
The NRC had earlier ordered the suspension of train services between Abuja and Kaduna, Lagos and Ibadan, and Warri due to the strike.

See the communique below

COMMUNIQUE OF RESOLUTIONS MADE AFTER THE MEETINGS WITH THE NRC BOARD IN ABUJA AND ANOTHER WITH THE FMOT, NRC MANAGEMENT, AND THE LEADERSHIP OF NUR & SSA IN IKEJA LAGOS ON FRIDAY, 19TH NOVEMBER 2021 OVER THE WORKERS’ AGITATION FOR ENHANCED SALARY REGIME; IMPROVED WELFARE, ET AL

The followings are the resolutions made between the above captioned parties:

i. a committee has been set up with immediate effect on the review of the standard condition of service with timeline lasting to the 31st day of January 2022;

ii. it has been agreed that the personal data on deceased workers be collected for processing for immediate payment as every worker is already covered by the group life assurance scheme;

iii. it has been agreed that all the train crews be given insurance cover as the train passengers and the goods in transit;

iv. enhanced salary regime has been taken up as a priority by the NRC Board and FMoT with a view to securing approval for implementation in the earliest time possible;

v. it has been agreed that no member of staff shall be victimized as a result of his/her participation in the 3-day industrial action of November 2021;

vi. by this communique and foregoing resolutions, the 3-day warning strike action is hereby suspended. Therefore, workers are hereby directed to resume work with immediate effect.

Signed
Comr. Aliyu Mainasara
PG, SSA

Signed
Comr. Innocent L. Ajiji
PG NUR

Signed
Dr. Mrs. Monsurat O. Omotayo
Director Admin/HR
For: NRC management