The Federal Government has received a notice of strike from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) in response to the attacks, kidnapping, and beating of NLC President Joe Ajaero on Wednesday.
During a briefing on Friday, representatives of the NLC and TUC presented the Federal Government with a six-point demand. Among other demands, they demanded the immediate removal of the Commissioner of Police, the Imo State and Area Commander, and other officials for their alleged involvement in the abuse and humiliation of Comrade Ajaero and other workers.
Recall that suspected agents of the state and security operatives had descended on Ajaero alongside other Labour leaders, smashing their vehicles, inflicting injuries on them and dispossessing handsets, money, and ATM cards among other valuables from the Labour leaders and others who had gathered at the NLC State secretariat to begin a scheduled protest over pending labour issues.
The NLC President, other national leaders of NLC and their Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, counterpart were at the state Secretariat in Owerri to protest among other grievances, the backlog of unpaid salaries and allowances, pensions, gratuities, and non-compliance with the National Minimum Wage Act.
The attack, brutalisation and battering of Ajaero have elicited outrage and condemnation across the country.
Leaders of NLC and TUC are billed to meet on Tuesday next week to decide on an appropriate response to the attack.