‘Nigerians Have Started Suffering’ – Labour Minister Reacts As NLC Insist On Continuing Strike

Minister of Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, has said Nigerians have started suffering from the ongoing nationwide strike of Organised Labour.

Naija News reported that the organized labour embarked on an indefinite nationwide strike on Monday, June 3, after the union failed to reach an agreement with the federal government over minimum wage.

The strike action has crippled activities in various sectors, as schools, hospitals, banks and offices were closed.

During an interview on Monday, Nkeiruka asserted that the strike has negatively impacted the economy and the welfare of the citizens.

She lamented the strike’s effect on hospitals, stating that the National grid shutdown will continue to affect many medical procedures.

The Minister stressed that hospitals being inaccessible and doctors not being able to perform their duties might lead to the death of patients.

She said, “We know what the issues are and we hope they will be resolved, but going to strike will take the matter to the extreme with a lot of negative implications to both our economy and the welfare of the citizens.

“If the strike continues, the citizens will suffer and they have started suffering.

“Our students who were supposed to be taking exams have been affected because they can’t find means of transportation to exams centres.

“There are people who can’t eat until they go to their places of work. Some people who work at the Secretariat live daily on what they get from the officers there.

“On production side, we know that when activities are shut down, it will affect our economy. Businesses will definitely be affected. Social life has also been affected too.”