Off-season polls: FG tackles Labour over strike, unions disrupt Imo flights… 

The Federal Government on Thursday berated the organised Labour over the strike it declared in Imo State and its planned nationwide strike scheduled for November 14 because of the physical attack on the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, in Owerri, the state capital.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, admonished the NLC and the Trade Union Congress against politicising Ajero’s alleged maltreatment, warning that politics might destroy the labour movement in the country.

In protest against the assault on the labour leader during a protest against the Imo State Government on November 1, the organised Labour Thursday disrupted all Owerri-bound flights at the Lagos and Abuja airports and forced passengers to deplane.

The union leaders and their members picketed the Nnamidi Azikiwe International Airport, disrupting the operations of the facility and leaving many passengers stranded.

The unions had announced the action after their extraordinary National Executive Council meeting which was held in Abuja on Tuesday.

But angered by the development, Keyamo came down hard on the labour leaders, accusing them of being ‘’Labour Party hirelings.’’

While appealing to the labour unions not to destroy themselves with involvement in politics, the minister maintained that the aviation ministry was not involved in the alleged maltreatment of the NLC leader.

He noted with concern that the protest by the labour could affect foreigners coming into the country as well as citizens going about their normal businesses as, according to him, the protesters disrupted aviation activities by blocking the access road to the Abuja International Airport.