Nigeria Labour Congress and its sister Trade Union Congress said they would embark on a nationwide strike starting midnight of November 14, 2023.
The Unions disclosed in a press conference Monday in Abuja that they have directed their affiliates nationwide to shut down and the strike would remain till the government addresses all their grievances. These include the violent manhandling of NLC president Joe Ajero in Owerri.
“We, the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC); if you could recall a while ago, we gave some conditions that we want the government to meet regarding the brutalization of the NLC President,” said TUC president Festus Usifo.
“So, we set forth some conditions and those conditions were very very clear without ambiguity whatsoever. We said those people that brutalized our president must be arrested and prosecuted. We also stated as well, that the Area Commander that led the police to carry out the brutalization should be relieved of his duty and prosecuted. Then, (the chap, name withheld) who everybody knew that led the thugs should also be arrested and prosecuted. So, the list went on and on, and on, gentlemen of the press I think we have the list of our demands.
“We gave an ultimatum that initially expired Wednesday last week. But on the eve of that expiration we had a joint session of the NLC and the TUC. We looked at it and we thought that in responding to the petition that we should give additional one week, let’s see if the government will be responsive. In order to further draw the attention of government, we had a joint session last week Tuesday but instead of government to come strongly to condemn this criminality, instead of government to speak and stand at the side of justice and the side truth, some people in government were running their mouth and making all kinds of statements, so the two labour centres have resolved to stand strongly by the petition of the joint NEC that was held last week Tuesday. That effective 00: 01hour of the 14th of November we shall declare a nationwide strike.
“So effective tomorrow or mid-night today, that strike is going to commence and all affiliates of the NLC, all state councils of the two centres have been mobilized adequately, and this is going to be indefinite until government at all levels wake up to their responsibilities. This is the decision of the joint NEC of the NLC and the TUC, and we are going to carry it out to the latter.”
