BY MOYINOLUWA BAMIDELE-LUCAS
The proposed three-day warning strike threatened by railway workers may go as planned following their inability to reach an amicable solution with the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi.
The workers have threatened to go on three-day warning strike over failure to meet their demand by the authorities, saying that their salary is not more than N40, 000 a month in spite of a lot of risks.
The railway workers are demanding enhanced emoluments, improved welfare and protection in their services.
Leader of the railway workers in Nigeria, Innocent Luka, told the BBC Hausa Service in an interview that the warning strike becomes inevitable because the workers have been pushed to the wall.
He explained, “We met because of the things we wrote so that the government will act on it and understand.”
He added that they talked about increase in salary and allowances of workers, as well as the improvement in the welfare of workers.
Luka further stated that they could not reach an amicable solution with the minister in their meeting in Lagos at the weekend.
He said all the documents they submitted about four months ago to President Muhammadu Buhari must be approved.
He explained that the Minister told them that the President had travelled outside the country, assuring that he (minister) would present their grievances to the President when he comes back.
He lamented that the President is yet to get the information on all their discussions with the Minister on salary increase.
Luka stated that the workers had started demanding for salary increase about six years ago with the Minister and the Managing Director of the NRC who included this in the budget proposal of 2021, saying that when it was taken to the National Assembly, it was removed.
Luka assured that the warning strike would commence on Thursday and end on Saturday, after which they would resume and give the authorities sometime.
According to him, if nothing is done, they would embark on a total strike and that would be indefinite.
He explained that they have been patient in vain for so long, stressing that the salary of a railway worker is not more than N30, 000, N42, 000 and N43, 000 as the locomotive engine combined with the coaches cost between N1.5 billion and N1.6 billion.
He further explained that a train carries over 800 passengers, while the safety of the passengers is in the hands of the worker receiving less than N30, 000.
