Workers at the National Theatre have called on the Federal Government to allow them into their offices following the completion of renovation of the edifice which began in 2020.
The workers made the call at a news conference on Thursday in Lagos through the Joint Union Congress (JUC).
The news conference aimed to draw the attention of the government to the welfare needs of members of the union.
JUC comprises the Radio, Television and Theatre Arts Workers of Nigeria (RATTAWU) and the Amalgamated Union of Public, Civil, Technical and Recreational Employees (AUPCTRE).
Vice-Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Lagos Chapter, Bisi Oladipupo, said at the event that the struggle to return the workers to their offices began in October 2024.
He said that members of the union had visited the general manager of the National Theatre, Tola Akerele, to discuss the matter.
“However, we are sad to inform Nigerians that the result was negative.
“Our observation is a deliberate negative effort of the management toward the relocation,” he said.
Mr Oladipupo appealed to the government to return the workers to their offices.
He said that the workers were currently working under harsh conditions.
“The government should give us a good work environment; we are not representing the government and the National Theatre management well under the trees,” he said.
According to the vice-chairman, if the issue is not addressed, the union would be forced to embark an industrial action.
Also, the acting secretary of RATTAWU, Lagos Chapter, Bimbola Oluyeye, said that shutting the offices had implications, including loss of revenue, for the government.
“We are calling on the current Minister of Information and Creative Economy to step in and see to it that the doors of National Theatre are opened and our workers are ushered in to continue doing their jobs, thereby creating more income for the government,” Ms Oluyeye said.
Efforts were made by journalists to get the reaction of Akerele to the concerns of the workers but an official, who pleaded anonymity, told journalists that she was in an online meeting.
The official said that the general manager would address journalists soon.
