PIONEER President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Hassan Sunmonu has warned leaders of various labour unions against selling out their members for pecuniary gains else they suffer the Karmic retribution.
Sunmonu, gave this warning, as a guest speaker on the lecture titled, “The Life and Challenges of a Trade Union Leader”, delivered in honour of former Chairman, NLC, Oyo State, Mr Isiaka Ibrahim, at Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) House, Ibadan, at the weekend.
Sunmonu who spoke against the backdrop of unions having to negotiate various agreements for workers in public or private sector said trade unionists could only consider themselves successful if they truly overcome inducements and temptations from employees.
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Represented by General Manager, Oyo State Sports Council, Mr Gboyega Makinde, Sunmonu remarked that union leaders who help or betray their workers alike will get their rewards or retribution both on earth and in heaven.
Noting that union leaders faced the temptation of money, women and booze, he urged union leaders to shun corrupt practices to deservedly earn the praise of their members.
“In the process of negotiating a new collective agreement particularly either in the public service, but also in the private sector, some private sector employees may offer monetary inducement (bribe) to some trade union leaders in order to get reduced benefits for workers, in order to save their companies millions of naira.
“Union leaders that shun corrupt practices deservedly earn the praise of their members and their unions. Those who sell-out workers always, in the end, suffer from the Karmic Law of Retributive Justice. Overcoming the temptations trade unionists are subject to, is only the way forward to a successful trade union work.
“The triangular temptation of money, women and booze are the most destructive temptation of all temptations that a trade unionist can go through.
“Trade unionism is like missionary work, meant for the salvation of workers and the downtrodden members of the society. Those who do it to help the workers and the rest of society will have their rewards, both here and the hereafter.
“Those who do it to betray the workers and the rest of their society will also get their just rewards, both here and hereafter. Human beings can be deceived, but nobody can deceive the Almighty God,” Sunmonu said.
The event saw eulogies in honour of the celebrant, Isiaka Ibrahim, rendered by unionists to include Vice President, NLC, Mr Solomon Adelegan; Chairman, Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE); former Chairman, NLC Oyo State, Mr Ibrahim Bolomope; Secretary, AUPCTRE, Oyo State, Mr Muhammad Ibrahim; Mr Laoye Sanda; National President, AUPCTRE, Mr Benjamin Anthony; former Chairman, Trade Union Congress, Oyo State, Mr Andrew Emelieze.
Isiaka was Chairman, Oyo state NLC from 1985 to 1996.
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