Activities at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja were grounded on Thursday by members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC)
The move is part of actions by the unions following an attack on the president of the NLC Joe Ajaero in Imo State.
The protesters blocked the airport’s entry and exit routes.
As early as 8am Thursday morning, the protesting unionists have converged on the airport premises grounding aviation activities in one of the country’s busiest airports.
They were at the airport to halt flights going to Owerri, the Imo State capital. While security operatives prevented them from entering the airport, the protesters blocked the airport’s entry and exit routes, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded. Many of them abandoned their vehicles and instead trekked.
The development is the latest in the faceoff between labour and the Imo State government which the unions accused of using police officers to assault the NLC chief.
The union leader was taken to a police hospital and treated at the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri. It has since shared pictures showing Ajaero with a bruised face and a neck brace.
While police authorities in the state have denied involvement in the assault with the government accusing Ajaero of meddling in politics, organised labour declared a nationwide strike for November 14th, 2023.
Critics and observers say the move would throw an ailing economy into more turmoil, but the NLC and TUC insist it would go ahead with the industrial action if the government failed to meet its demands, which included the resignation of police officials.
The NLC, an umbrella group of trade unions, had planned a demonstration in the Imo state capital Owerri on Wednesday over “non-payment of salaries and pensions for 44 months and violation of other labour rights.
