Arrest Of NLC President Undermines Workers’ Rights – Amnesty International Warns

Rights group, Amnesty International has warned that the recent arrest of Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), in Imo undermines the rights of Nigerian workers to organize, engage in collective bargaining, and conduct industrial action.

The rights organization issued this warning and harshly denounced the Nigerian Police force for detaining the union president in a statement posted on its official X handle.

The statement claimed that the arrest was proof of the authorities’ total contempt for the right to free assembly and association in Nigeria.

Naija News had earlier reported the news of the arrest of Ajaero. The arrest came shortly after the union commenced its protest against unfair treatment of workers by the Imo state government.

The rights organisation in the statement emphasized that workers have the right to protest against unfair treatment by the state government.

“Amnesty International strongly condemns the arrest of President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Joe Ajaero by the police @PoliceNG in Owerri Imo State. The arrest is unlawful and shows Nigerian authorities’ utter disdain for freedom of assembly and association,” a statement by Amnesty International read.

“Workers have the right to protest over alleged unpaid salaries and pensions, violation and abuse of their rights and privileges by Imo state government. The arrest of Mr. Joe Ajaero undermines workers’ rights to organize, bargain collectively and take industrial action,” it added.