NLC vows to unite labour movement in Nigeria

THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has vowed to unite the labour movements in Nigeria despite the emergence of a new trade movement, United Labour Congress of Nigeria (ULC).

Comrades Joe Ajaero and Achese Igwe had emerged as the National President and Deputy National President of ULC having run a factional NLC for almost two years.

However, the President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, in a statement which he signed on Monday and made available to Tribune Online, promised Nigerian workers that despite the emergence of ULC, he will ensure that the Nigerian workers are united under one trade movement.

According to him, “The congress wish to assure all our members including those of NUEE, NUPENG and others listed as having attended the alleged launch of the new centre, that the NLC will continue to provide protection for them, and will ensure that their leaders do not go out of their consuming ambition to be leaders of a ‘national centre’ that lead them into the wilderness.”

He said the congress will ensure that “no one take you away from the NLC without your express democratic consent to do so. The relevant organ(s) of congress will soon meet to review the latest challenge posed to the unity of our movement. We implore all workers to remain calm.”

The statement further stated that “despite the antics of our Comrades, and their obstinate refusal to accept the result of a clear democratic contest, we had ensured their inclusion and participation in the affairs of the NLC. In this respect, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Comrade Ajaero’s union had representation in the state leadership structure of congress and also the National Executive Council of NLC, the Chairman of Kebbi NLC is from that union, as well as SAC members in Jigawa and a few other states.

“We had spent considerable time and energy working with the veterans of congress to bring our estranged comrade fully back to the congress because as they say, “if you allow a crack in your wall, you invite the lizard in”. We didn’t want our class opponents to use them as the weak link to undermine the solidarity of our movement.

“Unfortunately, as Nigerians saw during our last national strike against the fuel price increase by the Federal Government, our comrades chose to allow themselves to be used as willing tools to undermine our collective struggle.

“It is quite ironic that these comrades can’t see the contradiction between their empty rhetoric on wanting to “fight non-payment of salaries” and collaboration with the state to undermine popular action of the working people and the Nigerian masses, yet, when congress was in the frontline forcing their home state government(s) to pay workers wages and halt retrenchment of thousands of workers, they were nowhere to be seen.”