By Ken Afor
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Tuesday called for an Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting ahead of Wednesday’s ultimatum.
Tommy Etim, the National Vice-President for the TUC, told Punch that the purpose of the meeting will be to reassess the proposed strike stemming from the brutality against National President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, along with reviewing the Memorandum of Understanding agreed by the federal government and organized labour on October 2, 2023, in response to the abolishment of the oil subsidy which the labour centres declared has caused severe distress to Nigerians.
He stated: “We will be holding an extraordinary NEC meeting any moment from now. The modalities include the injustice meted upon Comrade Ajaero, the planned strike and the MOU signed with the federal government. More details will be revealed after the meeting.”
TheNewDiplomat had last week Friday reported that the NLC and the TUC had given a five-day ultimatum to the police following the arrest of the National President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, in Owerri, Imo State, on Wednesday.
The labour unions demanded the removal of the commissioner of police in the state, the arrest and prosecution of the aide of the Imo State governor who was said to have sponsored the attack and gave a five-day deadline starting from Friday as ultimatum for their demands to be met, or else they threatened to launch a nationwide industrial action.
It was revealed by the Head of Information for the NLC, Benson Upah, that Ajaero had been arrested by the police prior to the planned state-wide protest in Imo on Wednesday.
However, the police declared that Ajaero had only been taken into protective custody to shield him from potential mob aggression, yet Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo state accused the labour leader of meddling in the state’s political matters.
Many prominent Nigerians and civil society organisations have expressed their condemnation of the attack on the labour leader.
Some of these include the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, and human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
The organised labour issued a five-day ultimatum, the latest of several ultimatums since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office on May 29.
Due to the severe economic hardship caused by the federal government’s removal of the subsidy on petrol, the union threatened to go on strike in October if their demands were not met.
After multiple discussions between the government and trade unions, the intended strike was avoided.
