The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC has called on Organized Labour, including the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress to postpone its ongoing indefinite strike until after the upcoming Eid al-Adha festival.
The MURIC, in a statement on Monday by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, warned that the industrial action could make life unbearable for Muslims preparing for the celebrations.
The group also expressed concerns that the strike’s impact on transportation, petroleum, and electricity sectors would severely disrupt Muslims’ plans for the Eid festivities, which are just days away.
“There is no scintilla of doubt that the strike will make life unbearable for Muslims preparing for Id al-kabiir (Salah) which is just a few days away,” the statement read.
It added, “Transport fare to and fro their various destinations will skyrocket. Movements will be so adversely affected that the whole Salah period will become a horrendous experience. Is that what NLC wants?”
MURIC criticised the NLC’s approach, labelling it as “aggressive, arrogant, fascist and partisan,” and accusing the labor union of showing no respect for the rule of law or democratic practices.
“If we cannot speak for government, what about Nigerian Muslims whose lives your strike could turn into sheer nightmare?” Is this a deliberate attempt to make life uncomfortable for Muslims? Will NLC declare strike one week to Christmas? Or is this about bringing down our Muslim-Muslim ticket? Is this part of the ‘religious war’ of ‘Yes Daddy’?” the statement questioned.
The group also questioned whether Muslim workers were adequately represented within the NLC leadership and advisory bodies, and whether their concerns were taken into account before the strike was declared.
“We advise NLC to postpone it till after the Salah. If NLC rejects our advice and goes ahead with its satanic strike, we will ask all Muslim workers who know that they will meet Allah yaom al-Qiyaamah (The Last Day) not to cooperate with NLC. They should reject the strike because it is an assault on the religion of Islam,” the statement urged.
“We say ‘No To Strike in Salah,’” the statement added.