Michael Athokhamien Omnibus Imoudu was a Nigerian labour union leader.
16 Facts About Michael Imoudu
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Michael Imoudu's father was a soldier in the West African Frontier Force and had served in East Africa and in The Gambia.
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Michael Imoudu attended several schools and finished his elementary education at Agbor Government School in 1927.
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Michael Imoudu traveled to Lagos in 1928 and secured work a year later as a daily labourer, he worked as a linesman in the Post and Telegraph Department before joining the railways as an apprentice turner.
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Michael Imoudu started labour union activities as a member of the Railway Workers Union, the union was to become one of the most militant unions in the country during the colonial period.
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In 1939, Michael Imoudu became the president of the union, during the same year, the union was registered under the Trade Union Ordinance which allowed trade unions legal authority to seek collective bargaining with their employers.
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Michael Imoudu came into limelight in 1941 when he sought the government's and railway management's consent to improve the conditions of technical employees.
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Michael Imoudu, representing the railway union was selected as the Vice President.
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In 1942, Michael Imoudu was a labour negotiator in talks with government to grant a Cost of Living Allowance to workers to soften the effects of inflation as a result of World War II.
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In 1943, after his dismissal Michael Imoudu was detained but his detention was later changed to restriction of movement under the Nigerian General Defence Regulations, 1941 which was closely related to the British World War II Defence Regulations acts.
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Michael Imoudu was released on 20 May 1945 after the end of the War.
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However, on 21 and 22 June 1945, Michael Imoudu led a radical wing of the organized union to organize a general strike.
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In 1946, Michael Imoudu had identified with NCNC and was nominated to the executive council of the party.
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From 1947 to 1958, Michael Imoudu was leader of various trade unions.
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Michael Imoudu was president and gogo Chu Nzeribe, his vice president of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria; an effort at unification of various labour unions in the country.
16.
Michael Imoudu was suspended as president in 1960 after visiting the Soviet Union and China, and led a split which formed the Nigeria Trade Union Congress, then moved on to the Labour Unity Front.