The Imo wing of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has disassociated itself from plans by its national president, Joe Ajaero, to occupy the state.
Addressing newsmen in Owerri on Monday night after a meeting with other labour leaders in the state, the Acting Chairman of NLC, Rev. Philip Nwansi, announced that organised labour in the state would not be part of the planned action because of a subsisting Court order stopping the NLC from embarking on any such action.
The Industrial Court sitting in Owerri had last Friday granted an order restraing the NLC from embarking on any industrial action in Imo state
The NLC chairman said based on the court order, the planned strike action codenamed “Occupy Imo” had become illegal.
“All the affiliate unions, we are obeying the court order and we urge all Imo workers to be on their duty posts tomorrow as law abiding citizens.”
Nwansi said apart from the court order, the organised Labour in the state did not see any reason why the national body should order a strike. “Workers of Imo State say vehemently no to ‘occupy Imo ‘,because we have not found reasons enough for the action.”
He noted that Labour in Imo State has been on the same page with the state government and wondered why the national body should cry more than the bereaved.
Rev. Nwansi submitted that since the Labour has no industrial dispute with the state government and since the Court has declared the planned strike tomorrow illegal, workers should go about their duties in their offices.