Nigerian workers have been put on alert for an immediate nationwide action if the arrested President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is not released by the end of yesterday (Wednesday).
Africa Today News, New York had earlier reported that Ajaero was on Wednesday arrested in Owerri, the capital of Imo State during a protest by workers in Imo State over an alleged ‘serial and habitual abuse and violation’ of their rights by the state government.
He was brought to a yet-to-be-identified location after being picked up by heavily armed police officers in Owerri from the NLC State Council Secretariat.
In a joint statement by the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) shortly after Ajaero’s arrest, the Labour unions accused the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma and the Imo State Commissioner of Police of abducting the NLC leader.
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Asking the workers to be on alert for immediate action, the Organised Labour said workers cannot be at work while the NLC President is in the gulag.
The Organised Labour said that Uzodinma must be called to order by President Bola Tinubu ‘to avert what he has chosen to turn the state into – a den of thugs and blood suckers.’
It was gathered that thugs descended on Labour leaders and other protesters, smashing vehicles, inflicting injuries and dispossessing handsets, money, ATM cards among other valuables from labour leaders and others that had gathered at the NLC State secretariat to begin the scheduled protest over pending labour issues.
They were at the State Secretariat in Owerri to begin the planned protest ahead of the strike on Thursday over a backlog of unpaid salaries and allowances among other perceived sins of the Imo State government against workers in the State.
Among alleged sins of the Imo State government include refusal to implement previous agreements, outstanding salary arrears, unjust declaration of workers as ghost workers, destruction of NLC state secretariat, implementation of discriminatory pay and unpaid gratuity arrears.
Others are non-compliance with the National Minimum Wage, intimidation and harassment of trade union leaders, use of violence and thuggery, misappropriation of union dues, declaration of pensioners as ghosts, systematic harassment and intimidation of the workforce, resistance to social dialogue and collective bargaining, interference with workers’ democratic processes.