Senator Adams Oshiomhole has slammed the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), for its ongoing strike, describing it as a misplaced priority.
The NLC and TUC embarked on an industrial action on Tuesday to protest last week’s physical attack on NLC President, Joe Ajaero, in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
The former Edo State governor, who bared his mind, while speaking at Aso Villa yesterday after a meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima, admonished the NLC and TUC to take up issues on workers’ welfare rather than what will portray them as partisan.
Oshiomhole decried why the labour unions would not take on state governments that are not paying the N30,000 minimum wage, but would embark on industrial action simply because its leader was assaulted.
The TUC President Festus Osifo had announced the industrial action on Monday, saying it would be indefinite.
Oshiomhole, however, said: “Unfortunately, this strike is not about those issues. And I think we have to be careful not to mix our political opinion with our responsibilities because the issues confronting workers are so many that they should become the priority.”
He noted that “The Federal Government had granted N35,000 increase. And those discussions were supposed to be for and on behalf of not only the Federal Government but on behalf of all workers in Nigeria, including those employed by local governments and state governments,” he added.
Recall that Ajaero flew into Owerri to protest the non-payment of outstanding salary arrears to workers, last week.
During his protest at the airport when he arrived, he was beaten and the Police took him into protective custody
A few hours later, a photograph of Ajaero’s swollen face went viral on social media.
He later claimed that the Police arrested him and handed him over to hoodlums to be assaulted.
Although the police denied involvement, Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun redeployed Imo State Commission of Police Mohammed Barde and ordered an investigation.
