In a Facebook post on Tuesday morning, the NLC shared circulars from unions like NUBIFIE, the Medical and Health Workers Union, and SSANIP, confirming their compliance with the strike directive. The call for the strike follows the physical assault on NLC President Joe Ajaero in Imo State, where he and others were demonstrating against salary and pension arrears and labor rights violations. The protest was seen by some as an attempt to impact Governor Hope Uzodimma’s re-election bid.
Despite a National Industrial Court order restraining the strike due to an impasse with the Imo State Government, the unions directed a nationwide withdrawal of services, effective midnight on November 13, 2023. The unions urged maximum compliance through circulars.
The assault on Ajaero triggered the nationwide strike call, with the unions accusing Imo State of orchestrating the attack to suppress workers’ rights protests. Despite the threat of a strike, recent protests included picketing the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, causing travel disruptions. The unions demanded police officials’ resignation and expressed concern over the criminalization of peaceful protests.
Notably, recent strikes have seen varied outcomes, with a planned strike last month called off after the government offered measures to alleviate the impact of economic reforms amid rising living costs.
