Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, in a statement on Tuesday evening, said that the government will guarantee the safety of workers and their work places, and expects that normal work will continue in the interest of the nation.

Mr Lawal added that acts of intimidation, harassment, including barricading of gates, locking up of offices and preventing workers from carrying out their lawful duties will be met with appropriate response by security operatives.

The federal government has also directed all ministers, permanent secretaries and heads of government agencies to invoke the provision of “no work no pay” in respect of any staff who is absent.

The full text of the statement by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation is reproduced below:

 

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE FEDERATION

PRESS RELEASE

PROPOSED INDEFINITE STRIKE ACTION BY THE NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS

The attention of all Public Officers is drawn to the notice issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to embark on an indefinite strike from Wednesday, 18th May, 2016. 

This notice is regrettably given in spite of an Order by the Industrial Court against the strike action. 

Government, therefore, calls upon and advises all workers to respect the laws of the land and to desist from participating in an illegal strike action. 

Government undertakes to guarantee the safety of workers and their work places, and expects that normal work will continue in the interest of the nation. 

Accordingly, security agencies have been directed to ensure unimpeded access to offices, work places and markets.  Acts of intimidation, harassment, including barricading of gates, locking up of offices, blocking of roads and preventing workers from carrying out their lawful duties will be met with appropriate response by the law enforcement agencies.

All workers, whether in public or private sector are further reminded of the Trade Dispute Act, 2004, which provides that ‘where any worker takes part in a strike, he shall not be entitled to any wages or remuneration for the period of the strike and any such period shall not count for the purpose of reckoning the period of continuous employment and all rights dependent on continuity of employment shall be prejudicially affected accordingly’.

Accordingly, all Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Government Agencies are hereby directed to invoke the provision of ‘no work no pay’ in respect of any staff who absents him or herself from work to join the strike action. 

Attendance registers are required to be opened in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

Engineer Babachir David Lawal

Secretary to the Government of the Federation

[url]http://www.channelstv.com/2016/05/17/nlc-strike-fg-warns-no-work-no-pay/[url]

Why won`t you pay?you should have set things straight if you don`t want strike,you keep on increasing everything except workers salary.

why are these rulers insensitive to Nigerians,We are not suppose to go on strike in the first place,with the current hardship in the country petrol price shouldn't av increase but wen thieves rule this is what u get.Please let go on strike.We always survive and we will survive whatever they want to do.

Since December, my school has been paying incomplete salary cos allocations have been severely slashed, now they say we shouldn't complain.

Good

That's the zoo for you. why will you beat a child and ask it not to cry? Lord please save them.

were they paid before?

several states are owing salaries backlogs,yet they didn't die. so the threat would be like pouring water at a duck..

negotiating is better than threat..

This is not democracy but intimidation.

I don't even think it is safe for people to go to work today. What if NLC clashes with the Police and it results to bloody war?

The only sure strikers na ASUU, all others...... well they are the works of bad formation.

If una like, make una build IDP for the whole nigeria and be asking us ppl to bring plate to come collect food. It's not una fault, na fault of ppl praising the FG madness toward it's citizen.
If we talk cos of high in prices they will call us Ipod just for complaining.