ULC fuses into NLC as unions end crisis

After more than five years of failed reconciliation, the crisis between the ranks of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), that led to its disintegration and formation of the United Labour Congress (ULC) ended on Thursday as the two Labour centres finally come together under the mother NLC.

“I don’t want to repeat what Comrade Ayuba Wabba just said and what he read to you about the product of our collective decision. I want to say that we are back to our house, we are back to our family and when we are back we should know that we are stronger,” the former president of the ULC, Comrade Joe Ajaero declared after a successful meeting held at the Labour House, Abuja on Thursday, where the ULC fused with the NLC.

Ajaero added: “So, if we follow it emotionally we will not be back. But if we use our brain we have to be back. If we follow it emotionally we’ll be talking of this person did this, this person did that but as rational human beings, we should be able to know how it is impacting on Nigerian workers either negatively or positively.

“Based on that, we are here and events of next few days will show that we are back. I would not want to go beyond this, but we are back and ready to confront those who want to confront us and play with those who want to play with us.”

Following the resolution and infusion of ULC into the NLC, Comrade Ajaero became a deputy president of NLC. He was also a first-time deputy president of NLC before he contested along with the President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba; during the congress National Delegates’Conference in 2015.

The outcome of the election was rejected by Comrade Ajaero and resulted in a lingering crisis which led to formation of the ULC by the Ajaero led group.

Reading the speech prepared after the resolution and jointly signed by Comrades Wabba and Ajaero, a visibly elated President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said their bond of brotherhood shall never be broken.

Tagged a “world press conference,” Wabba said, “We were celebrating the reconciliation between the Nigeria Labour Congress and the United Labour Congress.”

He stated that the leadership of the NLC and the ULC wish to announce to the world that the strain within the ranks of Organized Labour in Nigeria has been resolved, adding, the “Nigeria Labour Congress led by Comrade Ayuba Wabba has fully reconcile with the United Labour Congress (ULC) led by Comrade Joe Ajaero.”

Wabba explained that after the conduct of leadership election in the NLC at the 10th National Delegates Conference in 2015, some misunderstanding arose between some affiliates of congress.

He hinted that all efforts by Labour veterans such as the pioneer President of the NLC, Comrade Hassan Sunmonu and a former President of the NLC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to resolve the issue were inconclusive.

However, he said: “Committed to the bond of brotherhood and solidarity which the labour movement all over the world is known for, the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the leadership of the ULC kept aglow the light of peaceful relations towards resolving their misunderstanding as the two leaderships resorted to direct discussions aimed at ending the rift.

“The outcome of this quiet but sustained effort at making the peace is the fruit of the reconciliation that we are celebrating today. It is to the credit of the leadership of the NLC and the ULC that the bond of solidarity was never broken even at the height of misunderstanding. The NLC and ULC always cooperated and collaborated in defending Nigerian workers. This was the experience during negotiations for the new national minimum wage.”

He stated further, “it is remarkable that in the dark furnace that severely tested our commitment and selfless disposition to our movement’s age long tradition of Nigerian workers first, we have managed to come out as gold, better and brighter. This is the story that overshadows the fleeting pains of the mosquito bites of our misunderstanding in the night.

“With this reconciliation, the leadership and structures of the United Labour Congress have been reintegrated into the Nigeria Labour Congress. In the reconciliation Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two leadership, the modus operandi for this re-integration and ancillary issues are spelt out to the satisfaction of both parties.

“We commend the leadership of our affiliate unions, state councils and our statutory organs up to the National Delegates Conference whose mandate and support provided the ladder to this milestone reconciliation. We thank our rank and file and the social partners for their counsel, altruism and support during the dark hour.”

The NLC President emphasized that the NLC has emerged out of this crisis stronger, adding, “we have gained more affiliate unions to our movement, we have gained more experience, and we have built more bridges. Going forward from this platform of unity, we are ready now more than ever before to confront and overcome the myriad of challenges facing Nigerian workers – economic, social, and political.”

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