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  • Nationwide strike: NLC, TUC Lagos affiliates comply

    Nationwide strike: NLC, TUC Lagos affiliates comply

    Affiliates of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) in Lagos State, on Tuesday complied with the directive of the two labour unions to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos reports that the National Executive Council meeting of the labour unions, held on Nov. 13, 2023, in Abuja, had resolved to embark on the strike.

    The decision was due to the alleged failure of the Federal Government to address issues affecting workers, such as the minimum wage, insecurity, corruption, and poor governance.

    Also, both unions had made some demands, which the government had allegedly failed to address following the recent crisis in Imo that resulted in the alleged brutalisation of the NLC President, Mr Joe Ajaero, and other members of the labour unions.

    Meanwhile, the government on Nov. 13, warned both unions against embarking on their planned strike action, saying it would amount to contempt of court.

    The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, in a statement, said the government had obtained a restraining order from the National Industrial Court of Nigeria barring the unions from going ahead with the strike.

    Meanwhile, the Secretary General, Nigeria Union of Railway Workers, Mr Segun Esan, told NAN that the union was involved in the strike and no train was running as a result.

    “In effect, therefore, all the workers of Nigerian Railway are duty-bound to join the nationwide strike action from zero-zero hour of Tuesday, 14th November, 2023 by staying back at home and away from their offices.

    Read Also: UPDATED: NLC, TUC declare strike, ask members to stay away from work

    “All the offices, stations, workshops, and entire premises of the Corporation remain locked and inaccessible from zero-zero hour of Tuesday, 14th November, 2023, till otherwise directed by the Congress,” Esan said.

    Also, the President, Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, Mr Oluwole Olusoji, said advice had been sent out to members on compliance.

    He said that members had been advised to ensure the safeguard of lives and property from people who might be used to take undue advantage of the situation.

    “We will continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds, “ Olusoji said.

    (NAN)

  • Imo/NLC crisis

    Imo/NLC crisis

    • Even though nothing can justify the attack on labour leader Ajaero in Imo, his strike threat was equally uncalled-for

    One of the most powerful and potent weapons in the hands of any trade union organisation is that of declaring a strike in pursuit of the protection and welfare of workers. It is a critical democratic right without which no society can truly be said to enjoy the fullness of liberty and the dignity of human rights. But the efficacy and effectiveness of the power of the strike is substantially dependent on the sense of restraint and responsibility with which it is exercised, which makes it important that it is not wielded frivolously. 

    To its credit, the various organs of the Nigerian Labour movement in their decades-long illustrious history of struggles to protect the interests of their members have mostly utilised the power of the strike with commendable maturity and restraint.

    The unfortunate and avoidable collision between the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Joe Ajaero, the Imo State government and some other largely undefined elements in the run-up to last Saturday’s governorship election in the state may, however, be attributed to an increased tendency to trivialise the strike option, as well as immerse trade unions in partisan politics. 

    Mr Ajaero had arrived Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Wednesday, November 1, to lead a strike tagged ‘Occupy Imo Plan’. The action was hinged on the allegation that the state government owed outstanding salary arrears to workers for over 20 months, as well as alleged intimidation and harassment of workers by the state government.

    As he led a picketing at the airport, the NLC President was physically assaulted by people he described as political thugs working in concert with the Imo State government and allegedly supported by the police. The state government has denied any involvement in the incident while the state command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) said its intervention was to rescue Ajaero from his attackers and place him in protective custody for his safety. 

    Furthermore, Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has denied that workers in the state were being owed any salary arrears and, to the best of our knowledge, the Imo State chapter of the NLC has not controverted the governor. It is thus doubtful if there was solid ground for the planned strike/protest in the first place, even though this does not in any way justify the attack on Ajaero.

    Read Also: UPDATED: NLC, TUC declare strike, ask members to stay away from work

    In an escalation of the crisis, the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC), in protest against the attack on Ajaero, made a five-point demand, including the removal of the Imo state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Bello, threatening a strike, paralysis of air travels in and out of Owerri, the state capital, as well as electricity and fuel supply cuts to the state, beginning on November 8, if the demands were not met. This, the labour leaders warned, would be graduated to a nationwide strike if necessary.

    To its credit, the NPF deployed the Commissioner of Police, obviously to ease the tension, even though no investigation has established any culpability on his part. But it is difficult to understand the timing of the NLC’s attempted strike/protest in Imo State just days before last Saturday’s election. The widespread perception of Ajaero, an indigene of the state, as surreptitiously trying to manipulate events to favour a particular party in the election no doubt played a role in the unsavoury turn of events in the state. This is another indication of the need for Labour leaders to exercise the highest degree of discretion and wisdom even as they exercise their undeniable right to participate in politics.

    That the threatened strikes by the NLC and TUC did not hold and is unlikely to does little good to the image and credibility of the Labour unions. There have been too many such ineffective strike threats in recent times. The strike weapon is a powerful one and must always be utilised with the utmost sense of responsibility rather than being the action of first resort.

  • UPDATED: NLC, TUC declare strike, ask members to stay away from work

    UPDATED: NLC, TUC declare strike, ask members to stay away from work

    Organised Labour on Monday declared a nationwide strike over the beating of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Joe Ajaero in Owerri last week.

    The two labour centres – the NLC and Trade Union Congress- directed workers to stay off work starting from Tuesday.

    This decision is against the ruling of the National Industrial Court which barred Labour from embarking on strike.

    The NLC president, Ajaero had led workers to protest against the Imo State Government where violence broke out.

    Ajaero said he was handed over to thugs allegedly by a police officer and was “beaten like a common criminal.”

    Read Also: Guber polls: Akeredolu congratulates Uzodinma, Ododo

    The redeployment of the Commissioner of Police in Imo State was one of the demands of Organised Labour.

    Speaking with reporters after a joint National Executive Council meeting on Monday, President of TUC, Festus Osifo said all affiliates of the two labour centres had been mobilised to ensure the success of the strike.

    Osifo said the strike would remain until “governments at all levels wake up to their responsibility.”

    He said: “We demanded that the Area Commander that led the Police to carry out the brutalisation should be relieved of his duties and prosecuted. We asked also that Governor Hope Uzodinma’s SA on Special Duties, Chinasa Nwaneri, who everyone knew led the touts should also be arrested and prosecuted. Our list of demands is in the public domain.

    “We gave an ultimatum that initially expired Wednesday last week. But on the eve of that expiration, we had a joint session of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria. We looked at the time we gave and felt as responsible pan – Nigeria organisations, that we should give additional one week to see if the government will be responsive.

    “And in order to further draw the attention of the government we had the picketing session last week Thursday but instead of the government to come out strongly, to condemn this criminality, instead of the government to speak and stand on the side of justice, some people in government were rather running their mouth and making all kinds of statement.

    “So the two labour centers have resolved to stand firmly by the decision of the joint National Executive Council meeting that was held last week Tuesday, that effective from 12 midnight on the 14th of November, we shall declare a nationwide strike. So effective midnight today, a nationwide strike is going to commence.

    “All affiliates of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria and Nigeria Labour Congress, all State Councils of the two labour centres have been mobilised adequately. And this is going to be indefinite until governments at all levels wake up to their responsibility. This is the decision of the joint NEC of NLC and TUC and we are to carry it out to the latter.”

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, couldn’t be reached for comments as he didn’t respond to a short message sent to his official number.

    The Director of Press and Public Relations of the ministry, Olajide Oshundun couldn’t be reached as of press time.

    Some of the demands are: redeployment and investigation of the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command; the sacking of the Area Commander of the Nigeria Police Force and all other Officers and Men in Owerri through whom the Police Commissioner supervised the brutalisation and humiliation of Comrade Ajaero and other workers and Mr Nwaneri Chinasa, Adviser on Special Duties who supervised the terror on workers and bestial brutality meted out to Congress President, Comrade Joe Ajaero be arrested immediately and prosecuted for his crimes against workers and the President.

    Others are: an immediate, independent and unbiased thorough professional medical examination of Comrade Ajaero in light of the physical and psychological injuries inflicted on him; other workers and journalists subjected to inhuman treatment by the Police and the Hope Uzodimma’s goons be treated by the State and all the properties lost be restored immediately and the implementation of all outstanding Industrial Relations issues as previously agreed with the Imo state Government.

  • BREAKING: NLC, TUC declare nationwide strike

    BREAKING: NLC, TUC declare nationwide strike

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) have directed its members to commence a nationwide strike over the assault on NLC president, Joe Ajaero.

    The organised labour directed its affiliates to implement the resolutions of the National Executive Council.

    Read Also: Give 13 percent derivation directly to communities, APC chieftain tells Tinubu

    President of TUC, Festus Osifo, who addressed reporters on Monday, November 13, said the strike would remain until “government at all levels wake up to their responsibility.”

  • Group urges Ajaero, NLC to end power outage in Imo after Uzodimma’s apology

    Group urges Ajaero, NLC to end power outage in Imo after Uzodimma’s apology

    A pressure group in Imo State, Owerri Zone Awareness Coalition (OZAC), has called on President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, to intervene on the strike embarked on by electricity workers.

    Ajaero was reportedly attacked by thugs linked to Governor Hope Uzodimma’s aide, Nze Chinasa Nwaneri, on November 1, a development that prompted a solidarity strike by electricity workers, leaving the state in darkness in the past two weeks.

    Since the attack, power supply across Imo State has been deliberately halted by electricity workers aligning themselves with the plight of the labour leader.

    But, in a statement yesterday by its Publicity Secretary, Emmanuel Eke, OZAC implored Ajaero to reconsider the continuation of the strike.

    Expressing concern over the severe consequences, the group highlighted the economic downturn, collapsing small-scale businesses, and the precarious security situation arising from the prolonged power outage in the state.

    Read Also: Melaye kicks as INEC declares Ododo Kogi Gov-Elect

    While condemning the brutality inflicted upon Ajaero, the group acknowledged Governor Uzodimma’s apology on national television and the redeployment of the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Barde, as positive steps that should compel Ajaero to have a rethink and suspend the strike of the electricity workers.

    OZAC emphasised the immense hardship faced by Imo residents due to the extended power outage, coupled with exorbitant fuel prices reaching N700 per litre and skyrocketing living costs. It, therefore, urged Ajaero to reconsider his stance, recognising the efforts made towards meeting the NLC’s demands and emphasising the necessity of restoring electricity to alleviate the people’s suffering.

    In its plea, OZAC urged Ajaero not to exacerbate the predicament of those he champions by prolonging the strike.

    The statement reads: “Two of the NLC’s demands have been addressed, with ongoing investigations by the Inspector-General of Police into his assault.

    “The prevailing challenges in Imo State necessitate a balance between pursuing workers’ rights and mitigating the severe impact on the daily lives of the state’s inhabitants. Our plea underscores the delicate balance between activism and the responsibility to alleviate the broader hardships imposed on the people of Imo State.”

  • NLC’s planned strike economic sabotage — LP faction

    NLC’s planned strike economic sabotage — LP faction

    • Accuses Ajaero of using union to prosecute personal agenda in Imo

    A faction of the Labour Party led by Lamidi Apapa has knocked the organised labour for threatening to shut down the economy because of the assault on the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, in Imo State.

     The party accused the NLC of hiding under the assault on its President to sabotage President Bola Tinubu’s government.

     It also accused Ajaero of using the NLC to prosecute a personal agenda of both political and economic against the Imo State government.

     The National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party faction, Abayomi Arabambi said this in a statement yesterday in Abuja.

     The party also carpeted the organised labour for blocking the roads leading to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport as part of the protest against the brutalisation of Ajaero by alleged thugs.

     The NLC president led a protest to Owerri, Imo State capital against the state government where he was assaulted.

     This has led the NLC and Trade Union Congress to threaten to embark on a nationwide strike on November 14 unless its demands are met.

     The statement by the Labour Party said: “Joe Ajaero’s indiscriminate use of the NLC to prosecute his personal agenda of attempted political and economic conquest of his home state of Imo is an affirmation of his desire to overthrow democracy

     “Just yesterday, he was quoted to have said that nothing was wrong if INEC postponed the election and further affirmed their decision to go ahead with the strike by midnight of Monday despite the restraining order granted to the Federal Government of Nigeria by the National Industrial court.

     “What manner of institutionalised manifest executive rascality on display, the first of its kind by a labour union leader with a posture that he is a government on his own. Joe Ajaero’s disregard for the rule of law is very alarming and such an action has definitely overstretched the limit of law permissible thus constituting a treasonable felony act.

     “Here was a man whose instincts tell him that the people of Nigeria must be made to suffer because his ego was bruised by the Imo State workers who were protesting his dictatorial tendencies of attempting to instal  his cousin as the chairman of Imo State Council NLC

    Read ALso: BREAKING: NLC president Joe Ajaero arrested in Imo

     “The Minister of Aviation and AeroSpace Development would recollect that some weeks ago, the Federal Executive Council, chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved and adopted wholesale, the MOU and some of the agreements in the MOU have been implemented. The wage award of N35,000 to Federal workers is being paid. The N25,000 to be paid over six months to 15 million households is also being executed.

     “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration has also demonstrated his commitments to the MOU by the removal of the 7.5% VAT on diesel as demanded by the Labour Movement, and last week launched the Compressed Natural Gas vehicles, which it promised to provide countrywide.

    “But despite all this laudable commitment, the Joe Ajaero-led military wing supporters of Labour Party are hell-bent on going on strike and shutting down the economy with the sole aim of political and economy conquest of Nigeria simply because one container loads economist bland petition was dismissed under two minutes by the Supreme Court.”

    The party urged the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development not to blame it for the actions of some persons.

  • Imo and NLC’s supercilious posturing

    Imo and NLC’s supercilious posturing

    Days before Imo State, with two other states, went into governorship elections yesterday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) led by Joe Ajaero, an Imolite, scheduled a state shutdown protest by workers under the guise of labour dispute. The NLC owns the Labour Party (LP) which presented a candidate for that election. Naturally, the state’s local toughs, allegedly with police indifference, resisted the NLC and gave Mr Ajaero a black eye. Responding to the assault, the NLC and its ally, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), shut down the Abuja Airport, threw thousands of travelers into despair, and announced glibly that the exercise was to punish Imo State. Incredible. All because of one man.

    For months, the federal government has been yielding inches and feet and yards to the bellicose NLC purportedly fighting for the rights of workers worsted by economic adversities linked with the government’s policies. Anytime the NLC sneezed, by threatening to shut down the country, the federal government quaked or froze. The government knew that the NLC had become indistinguishable from LP, and that the union had acted in disgruntled and conspiratorial unison with the party which came third in the presidential election. Abuja also knew that before the courts delivered their judgements affirming the victory of the All Progressives Congress’ Bola Tinubu as president, the NLC was fomenting trouble in order to help ginger a revolt and cause social upheaval. The plot was obvious to many observers.

    Read Also: NLC’s planned nationwide strike an economic sabotage of Tinubu’s govt – LP faction

    But instead of taking the battle to the NLC, perhaps fearing that a clampdown could worsen the crisis, the government has preferred to back down in the face of provocation, each time yielding ground so much that it now yields miles. In effect, the NLC, and indeed the LP, appears to occupy the driver’s seat. Emboldened by its tactics of pressuring the administration and amused by the pusillanimity of the government, the union embarked on the aforesaid Imo political adventure two weeks ago. Unfortunately for Mr Ajaero, his people in Imo knew him and were unprepared to treat him with kid gloves just days to election. Thugs beat him black and blue. They alleged he was using the NLC to engage in flagrant politicking, a ploy they were unwilling to suffer gladly. Whether the NLC likes it or not, or whether the government continues to yield miles or not, a point will come when the fight that has been avoided for months will take place to determine who was elected to rule the country. That time is near. What is clear is that in matters such as those kinds of confrontations, the government seldom loses.

  • BREAKING: Court restrains NLC, TUC from embarking on any strike

    BREAKING: Court restrains NLC, TUC from embarking on any strike

    The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) has issued an order of interim injunction restraining members of organised labour, including the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and their affiliates from proceeding with the strike they planned to commence on November 14.

    The president of the court, Justice Benedict Kanyip, issued the order on Friday while ruling on an ex-parte application brought by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) on behalf of the Federal Government and argued by Tijani Gazali (SAN), Acting Director (Civil Appeals), Federal Ministry of Justice.

    Read Also: God’s healing power changed my life forever – Tems

    Justice Kanyip said the order shall subsist until the determination of a motion on notice for interlocutory injunctions equally filed by the AGF.

    The judge said the court is empowered under sections Section 7(1) and 19(a) of the NICN Establishment Act, to hear such ex-parte application and grant such ex-parte order where a strike is threatened, but yet to be commenced, as in this case.

    Details shortly…

  • NLC, TUC cautioned against opposing Fed Govt

    NLC, TUC cautioned against opposing Fed Govt

    An Ibadan-based businessman, Alhaji Sufianu Kazeem, has cautioned the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) not to be used as opposition political parties to prevent the development of the country.

    Kazeem, an associate of the late Chief MKO Abiola, who was believed to have won the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election, expressed surprise about the turn of events in Nigeria’s political landscape “where labour unions are now being used as political tools.”

    A statement yesterday by Kazeem said: “It is important for labour unions to maintain neutrality and work for the general welfare of the people, instead of being seen as political parties’ agents.”

    He described recent development in Imo State where NLC President, Joe Ajaero, was said to have been allegedly injured, as an embarrassment for labour movement in Nigeria.

    Read Also: BREAKING: NLC, TUC declare nationwide strike

    “How can you describe a labour union president leading a political campaign in this 21st century and such leader still wants to have a smooth relationship with the government? I think this is difficult.

    “Ajaero and other labour union leaders can be sued for treason and felony by the Federal Government for wanting to hijack a democratically-constituted government in Imo State. Such needs to be discouraged in this country.”

    Kazeem said the problem of Nigeria did not start today, noting that it began since the military regime “and efforts must be geared towards ensuring that the country is returned to the path of development.”

    He urged Nigerians to cooperate with the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his quest to move the nation forward.

  • State workers as pawns in hands of NLC, TUC

    State workers as pawns in hands of NLC, TUC

    Sir: The national leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and its Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart appear to be taking workers on the payroll of state governments for a ride whenever they threaten the federal government with a nationwide strike. The state chapters of these labour unions do not bother to find out the reason behind such strikes.

    For them, the fact that the directive is coming from the national leadership of their unions, led by Joe Ajaero (NLC) and Festus Osifo (TUC) is enough. For that reason, the roof must be pulled down on the head of the presidency unless it does their bidding. As for the state chapters of the NLC, they must dance to their drum beats of war like puppets without considering the relics and rhymes of the drumbeats. That the drumbeats are targeted at the presidency is all but satisfactory to them; whether it is justified or not; whether it is expedient and of any benefits to them does not count. 

    And when the drumbeats of war settle down, the drummers, Ajaero and Osifo can afford to run away from the drums with a bargain of N35,000 additional wage award for federal workers alone!

    They usually leave their pawns in the state chapters wondering what is going on in the end. Workers in the payroll of state governments are always the losers; having joined the bandwagon in futility.

    So far, Ajaero, the belligerent NLC president known for kickboxing has not seen the need to traverse each of the 36 states to call out the workers to shut down their states if the state governors fail to implement the wage award as approved by the federal government. He suddenly went quiet after getting what he requested from the federal government. The various state chapters of the NLC are the pawns on the chess board that he can use anytime to achieve his selfish end whenever the need arises.

    Ajaero and the national leadership of the NLC will always succeed. Not because they are fighting for the masses; but because the leadership of the state chapters of NLC always act emotionally, like the Jews who shouted “Hosanna in the highest” and minutes later “crucify Him”.

    Read Also: Imo: NLC now a political arm of Labour Party – CSOs

    Virtually all the state chapters have not seen the need to come forward to explain to their members the benefits that have accrued to them in allowing themselves to be dragged into the threats of strike against the federal government.

    They have all gone to sleep, except for states like Enugu, Edo and Bayelsa that have keyed into the N35,000 wage award. Others, especially the oil-producing states have turned deaf ears to the wage award.

    For the labour leaders in those states, theirs is to mobilize the state workers to jump onto the bandwagon of the NLC national leadership, so long as the strike is targeted at the administration of President Bola Tinubu. In contrast, in their various states, the governors are emperors whom they must not dare.

    Today, the state chapters are waiting for the next directive from Ajaero to pull down the roof on the head of the presidency for the benefit of federal workers. Surely, the state chapters will always remain the losers after dancing to Ajaero’s drumbeats of war as the case may arise.

    • Ifeonu Okolo, Asaba, Delta State