The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) began an indefinite strike and shut down amenities in Imo State Wednesday in response to the state government’s alleged mistreatment of workers.
It also charged the federal government with using all available means to protect the lives of state people and workers.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, noted that people’s engagement with the government is nearly non-existent, while participation in social life is dwindling, adding that going throughout the state needs extra caution due to a heavy mist of sadness that seemed to have surrounded the state.
The NLC president criticized the deployment of security forces against workers in the state last Thursday, as they gathered peacefully to hold the congress’s state delegates conference.
Ajaero listed several anti-worker activities by the state government, including 20 months of salary arrears owed to some workers, the designation of approximately 11,000 workers in the state as ghost workers even while physically present at work, and the diversion of their salaries, intimidation, and harassment of trade union leaders, a witch hunt carried out under various guises and the continued use of thugs and weapons against workers in the state.
