By Latiifah Amusan
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a stern warning that it will embark on a nationwide strike starting August 14 if the contemptuous court summons against its leadership is not withdrawn.
President of the NLC, Mr. Joe Ajaero, along with Mr. Emmanuel Ugboaja, General Secretary, jointly conveyed this message in a communique after the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday.
The summons in question was initiated by the Federal Ministry of Justice through the National Industrial Court (NICN) due to the organized labor’s mass protest against anti-poor government policies, particularly the removal of subsidies causing hardships for Nigerians.
During the NEC meeting, Ajaero expressed the union’s frustration with the Ministry of Justice’s actions, accusing it of stifling democratic principles and attempting to silence the voices of Nigerian workers.
The NLC demanded the immediate withdrawal of the “litigious terrorism” by the Ministry of Justice before the end of work on Friday, August 11.
Should the summons remain in effect, the NLC vowed to commence a nationwide comprehensive strike beginning on August 14, 2023.
The union remains committed to holding the government accountable for its promises and governance in general.
The controversy stems from a court order issued by Justice Olufunke Anuwe of the NICN on June 5, 2023, restraining the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) from embarking on a planned strike scheduled to begin on June 7.
The unions postponed the strike to engage in negotiations with the government, but as talks have not yielded positive results, union leaders continue to push for a reversal of the decision.
The Federal Ministry of Justice has responded to the labor unions’ actions by threatening that any strike would be deemed contempt of court, punishable by imprisonment.
The ministry filed a notice of consequences of disobedience to the court order against the NLC President, Deputy Presidents, General Secretary, TUC President, and Chief Executive.
