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| Muslim organization requests delay of labor strike until after Eid celebration |
The Muslim Rights Concern has urged the Nigeria Labour Congress to defer its current strike until the conclusion of the forthcoming Eid al-Adha holiday, cautioning that the strike could severely affect Muslims preparing for the observance.
A statement issued on Monday by MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, voiced apprehension that the strike’s effects on transportation, petroleum, and electricity would significantly interrupt Muslims’ preparations for the Eid celebrations, which are imminent.
“The strike will undoubtedly render preparations for Id al-kabiir (Salah) extremely difficult, with the festival just around the corner,” the statement declared.
It continued, “Transportation costs to and from their destinations will escalate. The movement will be so negatively impacted that the entire Salah period will be marred by difficulty. Is this the outcome NLC desires?”
MURIC condemned the NLC’s tactics, describing them as “confrontational, presumptuous, authoritarian, and biased,” and charged the labor union with disregarding legal and democratic norms.
“What about the Nigerian Muslims who will suffer nightmares due to your strike if we don’t advocate for the government?” Is this an intentional effort to trouble Muslims? Would NLC initiate a strike a week before Christmas? Or is this aimed at undermining our Muslim-Muslim ticket? Is this a component of the ‘religious conflict’ of ‘Yes Daddy’?” the statement inquired.
The organization also inquired if Muslim employees were sufficiently represented in the NLC’s leadership and consultative groups, and if their viewpoints were considered prior to the strike announcement.
We recommend NLC to reschedule it post-Salah. Should NLC dismiss our counsel and persist with its malevolent strike, we will call upon all Muslim workers who believe they will face Allah yaom al-Qiyaamah (The Day of Judgment) to disavow NLC. They should spurn the strike as it constitutes an attack on Islam,” the statement implored.
“We stand against a Strike during Salah,” the statement concluded.
