NLC, TUC Dare FG, Vow To Proceed With Strike Despite Court Order

…As Unions Hold NEC Meeting Today

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have vowed to proceed with the November 14 nationwide strike despite a restraining order from the National Industrial Court.

Top labour union officials who spoke anonymously on Monday revealed this to THE WHISTLER.

Recall that the President of the court, Justice Benedict Bakwaph Kanyip, following an ex-parte application filed by the Federal Government (FG) and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN stopped the labour unions from proceeding with its industrial action slated for November 14.

However, the sources disclosed that the FG is yet to contact the labour unions on the planned nationwide strike while revealing that the court order will not stop the strike from commencing tomorrow.

“We are inside a criminal enterprise and it cannot go on, so the struggle continues for us. If we are eliminated in the process, people will wake up, the world is a global village now.

“We are yet to receive any invitation from the FG, they think it will be like before, where we are invited late and they will ask that we shelve the strike and agree to sign any Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) so we don’t embark on the strike, this time will be different,” the source said.

When contacted, the Secretary General of the NLC, Emmanuel Ugboaja, told THE WHISTLER that the National Executive Council, NEC, will be meeting today to decide the possibility of tomorrow’s strike.

Ugboaja however noted that the strike is still in motion based on the pronouncement made at the last NEC meeting held on November 7 until it is called off by NEC.

He said, “The current NEC decision is that the strike starts at midnight today, but at the NEC meeting today, we will decide the way forward”.

The reason to embark on a nationwide strike by the NLC is due to the FG’s failure to meet the union’s demand following the assault of the NLC President Joe Ajaero in Imo State.

The conditions, according to the Labour unions, include, “The commissioner of police in Imo State CP Ahmed Barde should not only be investigated but should be removed over his unprofessional behaviour immediately.

“The area commander of the Nigeria Police Force and all other officers in Owerri, through whom the police commissioner supervise the brutalization and humiliation of President Ajaero and all other worker be relieved of his office and stripped of his commission.

“Mr Nwaneri Chinasa, adviser on special duty who supervised the terror of workers and brutality meted to the NLC president to be arrested immediately and prosecuted for his crime against the NLC and workers.

“We demand an immediate 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 hope Uzodimma group be treated by the state and all the properties lost be restored immediately.”

Out of the six demands of the Labour Union, only the removal of the Commissioner of Police CP Ahmed Barde has been implemented.