The Nigerian Labour Congress resolved on Tuesday to shut down all transportation in Owerri, the state capital of Imo State, including air, land, and sea transports.
News About Nigeria gathered that this decision was made on Tuesday during a strategy meeting of the Central Working Committee (CWC), an arm of the Nigeria Labour Congress, presided over by the Congress President, Comrade Joe Ajaero.
At the meeting, which had all affiliate unions in attendance, a conclusion was reached to shut down operations at the airport, effective from Wednesday. The strike is also to be total across all sectors, including air, land, and sea.
In a letter addressed to the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the General Secretary of NUATE, Ocheme Aba, directed aviation workers at Owerri Airport to shut down all services.
The President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, stated that the Hobbesian state of nature has become prevalent, exposing not just workers in the state but also institutions and individuals to fear, violence, and intimidation in their daily activities.
According to Ajaero, workers who gathered peacefully to conduct the state delegates’ conference of the NLC were attacked by sponsored thugs in conjunction with security agencies.
The NLC further highlighted some of the wrongs of the state government against its workers, including insincerity, duplicity, and perfidy, as well as 20 months’ salary arrears owed to some workers.
According to the aggrieved leaders of the union, the government also owed workers and pensioners over 42 months’ arrears, in addition to not properly implementing the national minimum wage.
The Imo State government, however, urged the national leadership of NLC not to fan the flames of disunity between it and workers in the state.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, he expressed his disappointment that the NLC allegedly directed workers to embark on a strike for an avoidable mission.
He further cautioned the national leadership of the union not to bring politics into the affairs of workers in the state.
Officials of the union, however, accused the state government of angling to force its preferred individuals to head the union in the state, a situation delegates opposed, and opted for a real delegates’ election to enthrone a new executive of the NLC in the state.
According to the CWC, there was continuous interference in the affairs of the state council, hiring of thugs to vandalize the Congress state secretariat, and observing a breach of agreements the government voluntarily entered into with Congress as far back as 2021, among others.
