Organised labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress and their affiliate unions have threatened to go on strike in the next 24 hours if the kidnapped state chairman of NLC, Ben Ukpepi was not released unharmed.

They took the decision through a communique issued after an emergency meeting in Calabar on Monday to deliberate on the kidnap of Ukpepi by gunmen at his home in Akpabuyo on Sunday night.

They described the kidnap of Ukpepi, which was happening the second time in 15 months, as a “barbaric act which threatens the organised labour community in the state.”

The communique jointly signed by NLC state Vice-Chairman, Lawrence Achuta, state Trade Union Congress Chairman, Monday Ogbodum, and other members of the executive, read in part, “The state government should ensure the release of the state chairman of NLC unharmed within the next 24 hours.

“Failure to secure the release of the NLC chairman, the organised labour will be forced to withdraw services.”
They also resolved that “All civil and public servants should note that at the expiration of this ultimatum and the chairman of NLC is not released, all workers should shut down and stay at home.”