NLC, TUC ignore court order, begin nationwide strike over assault on Ajaero

• NECA urges labour to respect NIC injunction
• Railway, maritime workers join strike

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have ordered workers and their affiliates to withdraw their services nationwide from today.

Ignoring a subsisting court pronouncement stopping the action, TUC President, Festus Osifo, while addressing journalists in Abuja yesterday, said the strike would remain until “government at all levels wake up to their responsibility.”

The strike is to protest the physical assault of the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and some executives of the Congress in Owerri, Imo State, on November 1, as well as the pending labour issues in Imo.Ajaero was arrested by the police ahead of a statewide protest in Imo. Although the police denied arresting Ajaero, stating that he was merely taken into protective custody to prevent a mob attack, the Imo State governor, Hope Uzodimma, accused the labour leader of meddling in the political affairs of the state.

Listing their demands, Osifo said: “We demanded that the Area Commander that led the police to carry out the brutalisation be relieved of his duties and prosecuted. We also asked that Governor Uzodimma’s aide on Special Duties, Chinasa Nwaneri, who led the touts should be arrested and prosecuted.

“We gave an ultimatum that initially expired Wednesday last week, but on the eve of that expiration, we had a joint session of the NLC and TUC and gave an additional one week to see if the government will be responsive. But instead of the government coming out strongly to condemn this criminality and stand on the side of justice, some people in government were running their mouths and making all kinds of statements.”

However, Director-General of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, has urged organised labour to respect the National Industrial Court (NIC) pronouncement stopping the unions from embarking on a nationwide strike.

Speaking with The Guardian, Oyerinde said: “Any member of the labour movement that is not satisfied with the NIC order should approach the court to plead their case. It can happen to any of us, we can be employer/employee today, labour or government tomorrow and NIC has shown a very strong level of impartiality over the years.”

This is just as the Nigerian Railway Workers and the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) have mobilised to join the strike today.

NUR, in a statement by its Secretary-General, Segun Esan, directed to the Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation, said members are duty-bound to join the nationwide strike by staying back at home and away from their offices. He urged the NRC management and its security apparatus to secure and protect all fixed and movable assets of the Corporation while the strike lasts.