Workers’ strike continues

A public sector strike that has closed schools, hospitals and left mounds of uncollected rubbish at street corners in Lagos state is now well into its second week, news organisations reported on Monday. The continuation of the strike coincides with a visit to Nigeria by Horst Koehler, the newly appointed managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF has been asking for tough economic reforms to be put in place in Nigeria but this is opposed by the trade unions, the BBC reported. Striking civil servants in Lagos and their counterparts in many other states of the Nigerian federation are demanding the same minimum wage as federal employees - 7,500 naira (US $75) as against the 5,500 naira approved for state employees. Trade union leaders have described state officials as “uncooperative,” the BBC reported on Monday. Koehler, on a five-nation African tour, will also visit Senegal, Cameroon and Mozambique before ending his trip in South Africa.