By Milcah Tanimu
In a developing situation, it has been reported that operatives of the Nigeria Police Force allegedly arrested the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, in Owerri, the capital of Imo State.
According to Benson Upah, the Head of Information at NLC, Ajaero was picked up at the state secretariat of the congress and taken to an undisclosed location. This arrest comes as the NLC had previously announced plans to mobilize its members for a total strike in Imo state starting today, November 1, 2023.
Joe Ajaero had earlier accused the Imo State Government, led by Governor Hope Uzodimma, of violating the rights of Nigerian workers in the state. He expressed concern over the alleged neglect of workers’ welfare, including non-payment of salaries and pension arrears, the declaration of workers and pensioners as ghost workers, and non-compliance with the national minimum wage. Ajaero also highlighted the government’s refusal to implement previous agreements and its resistance to social dialogue and collective bargaining.
The circumstances surrounding Ajaero’s arrest and the implications for the labor strike are yet to be fully understood, and more details are expected to emerge in due course.
