Joe Ajaero: After meeting with NSA, labour leaders suspend nationwide strike

AKOR SYLVESTER, Abuja

 

The organised Labour has suspended the nationwide strike which commenced on the 14th of November, 2023 over the brutalisation of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero at Owerri, the Imo State capital recently.

The decision was reached at a meeting which deliberated on the outcome of an earlier parley with the Federal Government led by the National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu.

General Secretary of the NLC, Emma Ugboaja and the 1st Deputy President, TUC, Tommy Okon, confirmed the suspension in different telephone chats with newsmen.

Organised labour said  it got a firm commitment from the Nuhu Ribadu-led meeting that those arrested for brutalizing the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, will be prosecuted.

As part of the take aways from the FG meeting, the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu,  promised to bring both parties back to the table to iron out all issues in dispute.

More significant for the labour movement was the unreserved apology tendered by the NSA on behalf of the Federal Government for the brutalisation of NLC President and other members of the Congress.

The NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC)  had commenced indefinite nationwide strike on the 13th November, 2023 over silence of President Bola Tinubu on the brutalisation of the NLC president, Joe Ajaero in Imo State.

Labour earlier demanded that the Tinubu government should bring the perpetrators of the assault to justice to serve as deterrent to others.

It said the Comrade President who was fighting for the right of workers cannot be treated like a common criminal and government will keep mute over the matter.

The NLC and TUC at an emergency National Executive Council Meeting (NEC) in Abuja Monday, said the strike remains indefinite until government meets the demands of the workers.

President of TUC,  Festus Osifo who read the communique of the joint NEC meeting said: “That we want the government to meet regarding the brutalization of the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress. So we set for some conditions and those conditions were very clear without ambiguity whatsoever.

“We said, those people that brutalized our President must be arrested, and they must be prosecuted. We also stated that the Area commander that led the Police to carry out the brutalization should be relieved of his duty and he should be prosecuted.

“Then, Chinasa, who everybody knew, that led the thugs should also be arrested and prosecuted and so on and so forth.

“So, the two Labour centres have resolved to stand firmly by the decision of the joint NEC that was held last week Tuesday. That effective,  00:1 hours, on the 14th November we shall declare a nationwide strike.

“So, effective tomorrow, or midnight today, a nationwide strike is going to commence. All affiliates of TUC, all affiliates of NLC, all state councils of the two centres have been mobilized 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 it out to the letter”,.

 

Our strike a protest against emerging culture of state violence, impunity, says NLC

 

Meanwhile, the Nigeria NLC had earlier urged Nigerians not to look at the suspended strike by the organized labour as a personal issue as perceived by some people, but a protest against the emerging culture of state violence and impunity against workers.

It said the strike action would continue until government assures of leading the people according to the law of the land.

The congress in a statement signed by its head of information and public affairs, Benson Upah, said a situation where union leaders who fight for the rights of workers will be treated like common criminals, will not be tolerated by the congress.

The statement reads: “We would want Nigerians to not lend themselves to the “private matter” narrative being promoted by agents of government as it is intended to divert attention from the real issues.

“Even as no freedom can be greater than the personal liberty of an indivudual in a popular democracy, which was violently and viciously violated in Imo, what the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria are fighting through this strike action are  serial acts of violence/assault and impunity committed against individuals and organisations by the Nigeria Police Force or under their watchful eye or supervision.

“We make haste to cite three instances here even as there are several others within the brief  life of this government.

“We recall the despicable role of the police in the forceful seizure of the offices of NURTW, RTEAN and NUPENG.

“This strike among other things, is a protest against  this reprehensible impunity which is fast becoming the signature of this government.

“The arrest, beating and torture of Comrade Joe Ajaero represents the raising of the stakes in this culture of harassment and intimidation and we have no apology for resisting this through a strike.

“For those not in the know, tyranny begins with the loss of personal liberty through the negative deployment of state power through it’s agents. Critics of labour unions forget that they could be the next victims tomorrow.

“Finally, we demand that the government of President Bola Tinubu nip in the bud this burgeoning culture of harassment, intimidation, violence and terror!

“We will not back down until we secure a commitment from government to govern by the prescribed laws of the land.

“We are clear about our objectives and we are not in need of approval ratings from agents of government passing themselves off as our friends.

“The gradual closing of democratic space is a clear and present  danger or  tendency we can ill-afford to ignore”.

 

For a better society

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