Members of organized labour have been instructed to stop providing services and to close the country indefinitely, starting at midnight. The instruction was given yesterday at a joint press conference in Abuja by the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
The National Industrial Court (NIC) issued a restraining order on Friday, preventing the two labour centres and their affiliates from initiating the scheduled nationwide strike.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, was attacked and brutalized two weeks ago in Owerri, Imo State while leading union members on a strike against alleged violations of workers’ rights by the state government. Festus Osifo, the TUC president, led the briefing and claimed that the government has not complied with the congress’ demands.
In an attempt to thwart the state’s planned strike, Labour accused Governor Hope Uzodimma of organizing thugs and police who attacked and detained the NLC president.
The state Police Command, however, has denied the accusations, claiming that Ajaero was placed in protective custody rather than arrested to prevent a mob lynching.
Uzodimma, the recently re-elected governor, took responsibility for Ajaero’s purported partisanship in the state.
Speaking yesterday, Osifo said: “The two Labour centres have resolved to stand firmly by the decision of the joint NEC that was held last Tuesday “That effective, 00:1 hours, on November 14, we shall declare a nationwide strike.”
He stressed “So, effective tomorrow or midnight today, a nationwide strike is going to commence. All affiliates of TUC, all affiliates of NLC, and all state councils of the two centres have been mobilised adequately and this is going to be indefinite until governments, at all levels, wake up to their responsibilities. This is the decision of the joint NEC of NLC and TUC and we are going to carry out to the latter.”
However, the Federal Government has insisted that there is a subsisting court order stopping the unions and their affiliates from embarking on the strike.
A statement by Kamarudeen Ogundele, media aide to the AGF & Minister of Justice said the interim order was granted on November 10 by the President of NIC, Justice B. B. Kanyip.
“The unions have been served the court order and, therefore, must surrender themselves to the authority of the court which is already seized with the facts of the case. Any action taken contrary to the order will be tantamount to contempt of court.
“We use this medium to urge the unions to respect the court order and adhere to the principle of the rule of law. There is no need to resort to self-help.
“We urge workers to report for duties and not to entertain any fear as their safety is guaranteed and will be protected within the ambit of law,” the statement said.
Regardless, leaders of both unions in Abia State have also said they would join the action.
In a statement, entitled: “Notice of Nationwide Industrial Action”, jointly signed by Pascal Nweke and Emma Alozie, NLC Abia State chairman and secretary respectively, the unions said: “The incident which took place on Thursday, November 2, on the orders of Governor Uzodimma saw the Imo State Police Command abducting the NLC president from Imo NLC state council secretariat in Owerri, where he was waiting to flag off a peaceful protest rally against Imo State government for non-payment of workers’ salaries and pensioners, during which he was manhandled and violated by the policemen. He was later blindfolded and moved to an unknown location where further mistreatment was meted out to him.
“Unequivocally, the Abia State NLC says it is unfortunate that Imo State governor through the state police command has fully exploited the atmosphere of industrial tyranny in a determined effort to disorganise, dislodge and ultimately undermine the integrity of labour movement in the country.”
The statement said the essence of the release was to put all affiliates of NLC and their leadership on red alert and to urge them to begin sensitisation and mobilisation of their members in readiness to join the planned nationwide strike beginning today.
“In this regard, all workers in Abia State both in federal, state, councils and private sector workers are by this notice directed to withdraw their services from Tuesday, November 14, by 0.00hrs.”
Last Tuesday, Labour had ordered its members to immediately withdraw services and shut down Imo State indefinitely.
To suspend the strike, the labour centres are demanding the investigation and deployment of the commissioner of police in Imo; the sack of the area commander of the police and all other officers and men in Owerri through whom the police commissioner supervised the attack; as well as the arrest and immediate prosecution of Nwaneri Chinasa, aid to Uzodimma.
They also asked for an immediate, independent and unbiased thorough professional medical examination of all victims of the attack; immediate restoration of all properties lost and urgent implementation of all the outstanding industrial relations agreements previously entered with the state government.
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