Labour warns Imo workers, traders against Rochas solidarity rally

By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI—Leaders of the organized labour in Imo State, have distanced themselves from the proposed “thank you rally”, being organized for Governor Rochas Okorocha, in the state.

Following their stand on the rally, labour also directed workers not to be coerced into being part of the solidarity rally, now rescheduled for Thursday this week.

The position and directive of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, were conveyed to workers yesterday, through fliers and personal contacts.

Labour

One of the fliers urged civil servants to disregard what labour called “the falsehood”, spreading like wildfire, over the purported rally.

While labour leaders reminded civil servants that the planned rally was not in the interest of workers, it was also their considered opinion that “the programme, being organized by the Welfare Associations in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, does not have the blessing of workers unions”.

Meanwhile, some workers who spoke to Vanguard yesterday, claimed that they have been receiving threats on phone, allegedly from the coordinators of the rally.

A staff of one of the ministries, who spoke on strict grounds of anonymity, explained that “the threat is real and any worker who fails to attend the rally is sure to face imminent sanction from government”.

A female who also spoke to Vanguard, said she prefers to choose the lesser evil, out of two evils.

“I have come to realize that the governor can cause misery to any worker who fails to dance to his tune. Going for the thank you rally is evil and losing my job in this hard time is also evil. So, out of the two evils, I prefer the lesser evil of going for the rally”, the female worker reasoned.

Vanguard…