Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force took into custody Joe Ajaero, the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in Owerri, the capital of Imo State.

Benson Upah, the Head of Information at NLC, confirmed the arrest, stating that Ajaero was apprehended at the state secretariat of the congress and then transferred to an undisclosed location.

The development comes amid the NLC’s announcement that it would mobilize its members for a statewide strike in Imo starting on November 1, 2023.

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During a press briefing on Sunday, Ajaero accused the Imo State Government of violating the rights of Nigerian workers in the state.

He criticized Governor Hope Uzodimma for neglecting workers’ welfare and highlighted various grievances, including the non-payment of salaries, outstanding salary arrears of approximately 20 months, the unjust declaration of workers and pensioners as ghost beneficiaries, and unsettled gratuity arrears, among other issues.

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Ajaero further lamented the state government’s non-compliance with the national minimum wage, emphasizing that Governor Uzodimma had resisted the use of social dialogue and collective bargaining to address these concerns.

He noted that approximately 10,000 pensioners had been incorrectly labeled as ghost pensioners, resulting in over 22 months of unpaid pensions, while about 11,000 workers had been identified as ghost workers by the Imo State Government.