NLC, TUC ignore court order, mobilise members to proceed with planned strike

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria have said they would proceed with the proposed nationwide strike from midnight on November 14.

Festus Osifo, TUC president, announced the plan while addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday.

Osifo said the strike would remain until “government at all levels wake up to their responsibilities”.

The planned nationwide strike is a protest against the alleged brutality of Joe Ajaero, president of the NLC in Imo state.

Ajaero was reportedly picked up from the Imo council secretariat of the congress in Owerri by heavily armed police officers.

However, the Imo police command said Ajaero was not arrested but was taken into protective custody to avoid being lynched by a mob.

On November 5, the national industrial court in Owerri, capital of Imo, issued a restraining order to labour unions from embarking on strike in the state.

The Imo government and the attorney-general of the state were the claimants in the suit marked NICN/ OW/41/2023.

Also, the federal government had secured an order restraining the unions and their affiliates from embarking on the strike.

Moving the motion ex parte at the court session on Friday, Tijani Gazali, counsel to the federal government and the attorney general of the federation (AGF) asked the court to stop the planned strike on the grounds that it would cause “untold hardships” on “innocent law-abiding citizens and their businesses”.

Benedict Kanyip, president of the court,  granted the order.