Hoodlums have attacked members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) who were enforcing the ongoing indefinite strike in Jos, Plateau State capital.
The NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) initiated a nationwide strike on Monday in response to the Federal Government’s refusal to meet their proposed minimum wage of N494,000.
During the enforcement of the strike in Jos, NLC members were reportedly assaulted by touts at a private transport company, resulting in several injuries and hospitalizations.
Addressing journalists, the Vice Chairman of NLC in Plateau, Sunday Ayodele, detailed the incident: “Immediately the touts at the park saw us arriving at the gate, they started hauling stones at us, thinking we were members of the NURTW. Unknown to us, there is a pending dispute between the private transport company and NURTW Jos. And the touts in the park simply descended on our members. Before we could understand the reason for the attack, the touts had injured four members of NLC.”
Ayodele added that the situation was brought under control only after the intervention of security agencies. “It took the intervention of the security agencies for calm to be restored at the park. We had to withdraw our enforcement team from the park to allow peace to reign.”
The strike, initiated by the NLC and TUC, aims to pressure the Federal Government into accepting the proposed new minimum wage and reversing the recent hike in electricity tariffs. The industrial action has led to a shutdown of economic activities across the country.
