NLC tackles Lalong over 'partiality' in handling NURTW crisis

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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, of being partial over its handling of leadership crisis rocking the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

The NLC accused the minister of siding with people, who had illegally seized the NURTW headquarters with police support, and also undermining the recent agreement reached between the Federal government and organised labour.

Contained in a statement authored by its General Secretary, Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, and made available to journalists in Abuja, NLC reiterates that Comrade Tajudeen Baruwa’s leadership was democratically elected, adhering to union statutes, the national laws and ILO Conventions.

The statement read: “In a shocking turn of events, the Federal Minister of Labour, Mr. Lalong, has thrown a spanner in the wheel of the implementation of the Labour – Federal Government Agreement by his unmasked partiality in handling a critical item in the agreement which is the apparent Government meddling in Trade Union matters by siding with people, who had illegally seized the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) headquarters with police support. This group is now being encouraged to conduct its own Delegates’ Conference, both zonally and nationally to confer legitimacy to their action. This flagrant act not only constitutes an egregious intrusion into the internal affairs of a Union, in violation of ILO Conventions 87 and 98 but also represents a clear attempt to sabotage the recently ratified agreement between the Labour movement and the Federal Government.

“It is unfathomable that a Federal Minister of Labour, tasked with safeguarding the rights and interests of diverse stakeholders in our industrial relations landscape, would opt to take actions that could undermine the very foundations of our collective engagement. The Minister’s decision which is clearly morally reprehensible and legally untenable, marks a disheartening departure from the expected standards of conduct within the nation’s industrial relations sphere.

“Despite initial assurances from the Minister regarding the illegal occupation of the NURTW’s National Headquarters, the democratically elected leadership, led by Comrade Tajudeen Baruwa, has not been reinstated. Instead, the Minister has chosen to endorse and legitimize this hijacking with the State’s backing. This blatant power grab, subverting legality and moral integrity, is an affront to the principles of democratic governance.

“It is now abundantly clear that the Federal Government never negotiated in good faith and, consequently, was never genuinely committed to honoring the terms of the October 2, 2023 Agreement. This serves to affirm our earlier apprehension that the State was maneuvering to orchestrate a coup d’état against the democratically elected NURTW leadership, potentially alluding to the support of the Government, as suggested by Minister Lalong’s actions and statements.

“There is no doubt, both to us and the Nigerian public, about the Government’s intentions regarding the implementation of the October 2, 2023 Agreement. It is evident that, akin to the NURTW issue, the execution of other facets of the Agreement may be jeopardized. Therefore, we take heed of Minister Lalong’s actions, which flagrantly violate an accord responsibly endorsed by all involved parties.

“We implore the President to rein in Minister Lalong, and if this does not occur, we will conclude that the Minister’s actions align with the President’s directives.

“Our allegiance is to upholding the Rule of Law and democratic principles, even if the Minister chooses to disregard them. We will continue to stand by the democratically elected NURTW leadership, working with them as the legitimate representatives of workers in their sector, to thwart those seeking to contaminate the trade union sphere with political machinations. Every avenue will be explored to shield the trade union movement from this emerging irresponsibility.

“We steadfastly uphold the provisions of the October 2, 2023 Agreement, and any continued non-compliance after 30 days will compel our relevant bodies to take necessary actions. The onus now rests with the Government to either honor the essence of the Agreement or persist on Minister Lalong’s perilous course, inevitably leading to a national industrial crisis. The blame for such an outcome will squarely fall on the Minister of Labour, Mr. Lalong.”

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