The organised labour has called for immediate withdrawal of services by its members in Imo State from midnight November 7.

The directive is to protest the recent brutalisation of the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero.

Festus Osifo, president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), said this at the end of a joint emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting with the NLC on Tuesday in Abuja.

“All workers and affiliates are expected to ensure compliance from wherever they are. All flights into and out of Imo state, fuel supplies, and electricity be stopped immediately as applicable.

“All public and private sector workers are to immediately down tools indefinitely,” he said.

Mr Osifo said the NEC-in-session unanimously condemned in strong terms the alleged ”brutalisation and beastly actions” by Governor Hope Uzodimma, his goons, and the Nigeria Police on Ajaero.

He said the NLC president had led workers to examine and protest the non-payment of salaries of some of the workers in Imo.

Mr Osifo said Mr Ajaero was also there to protect the declaration of ghost workers who go to work and other issues that had bedeviled workers in the state.

“We went there without guns, a single machete, but only to protest. Protest is something that is in the law; It’s a fundamental position that is purely guided by our constitution.

“It is guided by International Charter, that is guided by the ILO Convention, but unfortunately, Hope Uzodimma organised the police and thought to attack the Nigerian worker.

“Consequently, the NLC/TUC NEC-in-session resolved to order the immediate withdrawal of services and shutdown of Imo state beginning midnight today,” he said.

Mr Osifo added that if demands are still unmet, workers all over the federation would join in withdrawing their services by November 14.

He also urged all state councils of NLC and TUC and affiliates that by the resolution be mandated to ensure full compliance with NEC’s decision.

Mr Ajaero was attacked in Imo on November 1 after declaring a protest against the governor of the state over alleged anti-labour practices.

Reports claimed that the police later detained him, but they denied that they brought him under their custody to save him from further attack by hoodlums.

(NAN)