Activities at train stations across the nation have been paralysed following the warning strike embarked upon by railway workers.
The workers through their unions – the Senior Staff Association of the Railway and the Nigeria Union of Railway Workers (NUR) – had declared a three-day strike to demand increased wages.
Several meetings with the management and the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, ended in a deadlock with the unions insisting on the strike.
The strike has led to the shutdown of train services across the country including the Abuja-Kaduna, Lagos-Ibadan, Warri-Itakpe, as well as the Lagos-Ogun intercity train services in Lagos.
A visited to the NRC headquarters at Ebute-Metta, Lagos, saw the workers marching on rail tracks.
They wielded placards with inscriptions such as “Good salaries bring better results, bad salaries kill morale”, Railway workers’ Salaries are the poorest and baddest under FMOT,” among others.
Many passengers who were at the Mobolaji Johnson Train station were turned back.
The Abuja-Kaduna train service was equally grounded as commuters were seen returning back home.
Mr. Pascal Nnorli, the Manager Abuja-Kaduna Train Service, disclosed that the strike has crippled all train activities, adding that the NRC management will further engage the unions to resolve the matter.
He also indicated that the matter may also involve the Salaries and Wages Commission who has the constitutional power to review the work condition of federal government workers.
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