Labour must rise to demand good governance, defend Nigerians —AUPCTRE President

The President, Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), Comrade Anthony Benjamin, has challenged the organised labour to rise to demand for good governance from the elected leaders and defend the Nigeria people.

“We owe it a patriotic duty to rise to demand for good governance from our elected leaders. This is to say that the character of the Nigeria ruling class is exploitative and parasitic; therefore we as a working class must wake up to defend the Nigeria people,” he said while speaking to journalists following, the successful state delegates’ conference of the union, held in Abuja.

The AUPCTRE president said he kicked against privatisation of public utilities, especially the policies on water and other sector of the economy that have ruined the system.

He said, “States like Lagos are busy bringing in companies that have ruined water systems in some countries of the world.

“Today the government has extended the Public Private Partnerships (PPP) to education and health sectors.

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“The contradiction with our leaders of today is that while United Kingdom and United States that have earlier privatised their water more than 30 years ago are currently taking back water from private hands, Nigerian leaders are shamelessly pursuing the policy.

“As leaders and workers, we must realise that neo-liberalism and globalisation has done a great havoc to workers’ solidarity and comradeship. The situation now is that, workers world over and communities have turned against one another; the scenario today is such that while workers or group of workers are complaining of under payment or non-payment of wages, the unemployed youth are being turned into common thugs and engage in anti-social activities. We owe it a patriotic duty to rise to demand for good governance from our elected leaders.

“Some of us came into this struggle today not because of what we stand to gain but because we have passion for it.

“We should therefore work together to re-orientate our minds to re-invent the relevance of the Union not only to our teeming membership but also to the public.”