Drivers and ticketers of Bus Rapid Transit BRT has embarked on an indefinite strike over unpaid salaries and revised terms of service causing commuters on all BRT terminals in Lagos State stranded for hours
Commuters were seen as early as 6am disappointed as their hope of going to work with a BRT was Dashed as a result of the strike.
The protesting workers were reported to have convened at Majidun in ikorodu for an emergency meeting at about 5.45am on Tuesday Monday.
As soon as the meeting was over, the protesting workers barricaded the BRT route to prevent any bus from leaving the premises of the company or ply the route but the protest was carefully managed to prevent break down of law and order in the axis.
According to some of the workers that they were protesting the unpaid salaries for the month of July and breach of agreement by management and that for the past four months, the management had slashed salaries from N60,000 to N45,000 and that the performance bonus were also slashed from N20,000 to N14,000 and all their effort to get authorities involved to revert it proved abortive.
One of the driver of BRT who spoke with huhuonline.com source on condition of anonymity said the management had initially issued a letter of appointment in November stating N60,000 as salaries only to issue another one recently stating N45,000. Apart from this, any driver who does not record an accident in a month is entitled to a performance allowance of N20,000 (Twenty-Thousand Naira) but this has been slashed to N14,000 (Fourteen Thousand Naira) in the new letter.
He said, “They sanction us anyhow and cut salaries and allowances. Our working hours are from 6am to 2pm and 2pm to 10pm but this has been extended without prior notice. Apart from this, there is no provision for staff bus and if one closes late, he is forced to pass the night in the office or risk being attacked by hoodlums.”
