The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has charged members of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) to remain steadfast in their fight for workers’ rights as the union elects a new leadership.
Speaking at the 6th Quadrennial Delegates Conference of MWUN in Lagos on Friday, Ajaero celebrated the strides made under the leadership of Comrade Prince Adewale Adeyanju while warning against increasing threats to workers’ welfare by the government.
Ajaero commended Adeyanju, who also serves as the deputy president of the NLC, for his exceptional leadership over the past eight years, noting that MWUN had grown stronger and more united under his tenure. The outgoing president, he said, was handing over a union that has become a beacon of resilience, ensuring that the rights and welfare of maritime workers remain protected despite numerous challenges.
He urged union members to elect a leadership that would not only consolidate past gains but take the union to greater heights. The battle for fair wages, better working conditions, and resistance to economic policies that undermine workers, he emphasised, must continue with greater vigor.
Ajaero did not shy away from criticising government policies that have adversely affected Nigerian workers. He condemned the arbitrary increases in telecom and electricity tariffs, the failure to honor agreements with trade unions, and the worsening economic conditions that have left many struggling. He warned that the government’s refusal to engage in meaningful social dialogue was pushing workers towards intensified resistance.
On governance and democracy, the NLC president called for accountability and the protection of democratic institutions, warning against the concentration of power and authoritarian tendencies. He stressed that trade unions must remain the voice of the people, ensuring that public officeholders act in the best interest of the masses rather than political elites.
As the MWUN prepared to elect new leaders, Ajaero urged members to approach the process with a sense of duty, emphasizing that the future of the union and the broader labor movement depended on their choices. He reassured them of the NLC’s unwavering solidarity, vowing that the struggle for workers’ rights, fair wages, and social justice would continue.
“Workers united can never be defeated!” Ajaero declared, rallying the delegates as they embarked on shaping the next chapter of their union’s history.
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