Even though nothing can justify the attack on labour leader Ajaero in Imo, his strike threat was equally uncalled-for

One of the most powerful and potent weapons in the hands of any trade union organisation is that of declaring a strike in pursuit of the protection and welfare of workers. It is a critical democratic right without which no society can truly be said to enjoy the fullness of liberty and the dignity of human rights. But the efficacy and effectiveness of the power of the strike is substantially dependent on the sense of restraint and responsibility with which it is exercised, which makes it important that it is not wielded frivolously.

To its credit, the various organs of the Nigerian Labour movement in their decades-long illustrious history of struggles to protect the interests of their members have mostly utilised the power of the strike with commendable maturity and restraint.

The unfortunate and avoidable collision between the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Joe Ajaero, the Imo State government and some other largely undefined elements in the run-up to last Saturdays governorship election in the state may, however, be attributed to an increased tendency to trivialise the strike option, as well as immerse trade unions in partisan politics.

Mr Ajaero had arrived Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Wednesday, November 1, to lead a strike tagged ˜Occupy Imo Plan. The action was hinged on the allegation that the state government owed outstanding salary arrears to workers for over 20 months, as well as alleged intimidation and harassment of workers by the state government.

As he led a picketing at the airport, the NLC President was physically assaulted by people he described as political thugs working in concert with the Imo State government and allegedly supported by the police. The state government has denied any involvement in the incident while the state command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) said its intervention was to rescue Ajaero from his attackers and place him in protective custody for his safety.

Furthermore, Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has denied that workers in the state were being owed any salary arrears and, to the best of our knowledge, the Imo State chapter of the NLC has not controverted the governor. It is thus doubtful if there was solid ground for the planned strike/protest in the first place, even though this does not in any way justify the attack on Ajaero.

In an escalation of the crisis, the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC), in protest against the attack on Ajaero, made a five-point demand, including the removal of the Imo state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Bello, threatening a strike, paralysis of air travels in and out of Owerri, the state capital, as well as electricity and fuel supply cuts to the state, beginning on November 8, if the demands were not met. This, the labour leaders warned, would be graduated to a nationwide strike if necessary.

To its credit, the NPF deployed the Commissioner of Police, obviously to ease the tension, even though no investigation has established any culpability on his part. But it is difficult to understand the timing of the NLCs attempted strike/protest in Imo State just days before last Saturdays election. The widespread perception of Ajaero, an indigene of the state, as surreptitiously trying to manipulate events to favour a particular party in the election no doubt played a role in the unsavoury turn of events in the state. This is another indication of the need for Labour leaders to exercise the highest degree of discretion and wisdom even as they exercise their undeniable right to participate in politics.

That the threatened strikes by the NLC and TUC did not hold and is unlikely to does little good to the image and credibility of the Labour unions. There have been too many such ineffective strike threats in recent times. The strike weapon is a powerful one and must always be utilised with the utmost sense of responsibility rather than being the action of first resort.