26 August, 2024On 19 August the Nigerian police in Abuja wrote a letter to the president of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, asking him to report to the police the following day to answer charges of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime.
The letter warned: “Be informed that in the event of failing to honour this letter, this office will have no alternative than to activate a warrant of arrest.”
In reply, NLC lawyers said that the police must explain the “details and nature of the allegations” and that Ajaero will go for the interview on 29 August.
The charges Ajaero face arise from trade union participation in national mass action against the cost-of-living crisis whose social media identity is #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria.
However, the government’s heavy-handed response led to the death of 13 protestors and the imprisonment of several others. Nigerian workers took to the streets as they are facing increasing financial hardships because of high inflation of over 34 per cent, underemployment, low wages, and high poverty. This was worsened by the removal of petroleum subsidies which led to price hikes. As some of the ways to ease workers’ plight, the unions are demanding economic policies that will lead to economic development, industrialization, and the creation of decent jobs.
The unions see the letter from the police as an act of continued harassment of leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and other labour leaders. “We view this as a calculated attempt to weaken and destabilize the labour movement, which has always stood as a bastion of democratic principles and the voice of the Nigerian masses,” wrote the NLC in a statement.
“IndustriALL urges the Federal Government of Nigeria and the police to stop the repressive actions and intimidation against trade unions and civil society organizations. Instead, the government must engage in meaningful social dialogue with trade unions, and take necessary actions to stop this injustice,”
said Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary.
Ajaero is also the general secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees, an IndustriALL Global Union affiliate. Other IndustriALL affiliates in Nigeria organize in the chemical, energy, engineering, oil and gas, ship building and ship breaking, textile and garment, and other sectors.