Nigeria’s two biggest labour unions, NLC and TUC, commenced an indefinite strike Tuesday after the president of one of the unions, Nigeria Labour Congress, was assaulted in Imo state.
Joe Ajaero said he was arrested by the police on November 1 and handed to thugs who beat and dragged on the ground in the south-east state where he had gone to mobilize workers ahead of state governorship elections there.
The NLC said the attack was carried out on the instructions of a senior government official, demanding the official be prosecuted.
The NLC and its sister organization, the Trade Union Congress, whose motto is “Injury to one is injury to all,” have vowed to mobilize workers across the country to stop work until their demands are met.
Workers’ unions in all sectors of the Nigerian economy are affiliated to either of the two groups, and any strike would likely disrupt economic activities.
Festus Osifo, TUC president, told journalists Monday that the strike would remain until “government at all levels wake up to their responsibilities”.
Police said they have launched an investigation and redeployed the Imo state police commissioner.
A spokesperson for President Tinubu the strike was illegal as a court had ruled against it, accusing Ajaero of being partisan and showing wrong judgement.
“This decision by the NLC and TUC other than being an ego tripping is clearly unwarranted. It is a move to blackmail the government by the leadership of the NLC,” said Bayo Onanuga.
Unions strike
Previous strikes by the unions, in protest against the rising cost of living and a hike in fuel prices, were suspended almost immediately after they started.
Nationwide blackout and a shutdown of public schools and hospitals loomed Tuesday after electricity workers, medical, bank and university workers asked their workers to join the strike, according to notifications posted by the NLC on X, formerly Twitter, the NLC.
Some of the unions that have declared support are:
- Academic Staff Union of Universities
- National Union of Electricity Employees, Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria
- National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees
- Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics
- National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees
- Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics
- Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria
- Nigeria Union of Railway Workers.
- National Union of Postal and Telecommunication Employees
- National Association of Academic Technologists
- Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees
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