FG, Labour meet over ongoing nationwide strike

The Federal Government has invited leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, for a meeting this afternoon to end the ongoing nationwide strike by Organised Labour.

Meanwhile, Vanguard gathered that the meeting was summoned by the Office of the National Security Adviser, NSA.

NLC and TUC, on Tuesday, declared an indefinite nationwide strike to protest the battering of the NLC President, Joe Ajaero and others in Owerri, Imo State on November 1. There were also pending labour issues in the state.

They had, on November 7, resolved to declare a nationwide strike by Tuesday, November 14, if their demands were not met.

Besides the brutalisation of the NLC President, other labour leaders and journalists, there are other grievances that precipitated the strike.

They include outstanding salary arrears, unjust declaration of 11,000 workers as ghost employees, unsettled gratuities, and non-compliance with the N30,000 Minimum Wage Act.

Also, labour said the state declared 10,000 pensioners as ghost retirees.

Recall that suspected agents of the state and security operatives had descended on Ajaero alongside other labour leaders.

The attackers smashed their vehicles, inflicting injuries on them and dispossessing them of handsets, money, and ATM cards, among other valuables.

The labour leaders and others had gathered at the NLC State secretariat in Imo State to begin a scheduled protest on November 1 over pending Labour issues.

The attack, brutalisation and battering of the labour leaders and others have continued to elicit outrage and condemnation across the country and beyond.