The industrial action started on Monday, June 3, by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) over the minimum wage dispute degenerated into chaos in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria.
The incident occurred at NTA Motor Park on Yakubu Gowon Way, Jos, Plateau state capital.
The National Union of Road and Transport Workers (NURTW) and the management of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) have been in dispute over ownership of the park.
When a members of NLC enforcement team entered the park to ensure compliance with the national strike, they were mistaken for NURTW members, and engaged by the touts loyal to a transport company in the park, answerable to NTA management.
According to Comrade Sunday Ayodele, the Vice chairman of NLC who led the team, “Immediately the touts at the park saw us arriving at the gate of the park, they started hauling stones at us, thinking we were members of the NURTW”.
It took the intervention of security operatives to douse the situation, but not before at least four union members were bloodied and rushed to hospital.
The unions were not aware of the ownership dispute at the park.
The industrial action is over disagreement on an acceptable minimum wage, and electricity tariffs. They are being enforced by the unions all over the Nigerian federation to ensure total compliance.
Nigeria’s government have initiated another round of negotiations with the union leadership.
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