May Day: ULC urges FG to shun privatization of companies

Chairman of the United Labour Congress (ULC), Comrade Canaan David-Otu has kicked against privatization of companies by the Federal Government, saying it has caused unemployment and hardship among the affected members of staff.

The ULC Chairman made the call on Monday during the celebration of the 2017 workers day in Calabar.

David-Otu recalled how the federal government privatized the National Electricity Power Authority (NEPA) to private individuals and a majority of staff lost their jobs with little or no compensation.

He said instead of privatization, government should rather strengthen the existing companies with a view of making them productive in other to accommodate a good percentage of the workforce.

He said that the ULC which dis-associated itself from the Nigeria Labour Congress in 2015 has over 25 affiliated bodies.

He said that while the NLC was made up of mainly government employee, ULC was primarily for the private sector.

“As we celebrate the 2017 workers day today, I wish to call on the federal government to stop the privatization of companies.”

“Some workers that were laid off by NEPA and NITEL are still suffering in frustration till date.”

“The economy of the country has been very unfriendly to the masses and harsh to the average Nigerian worker.”

“I want to also commend the federal government’s fight against corruption and appealing that the fight should be truly all involving and all round and nobody should be left untouched if found to be corrupt.”

“The ULC is a formidable labour congress that has come to stay. The congress is not an appendage of the government, federal, state or local government,” he said.

The ULC Chairman in the state said that ULC as an autonomous body would continue to work with the federal in other to appeal for policies that would be favourable to the private sector.