A faction of the Labour Union in Nigeria; the United Labour Congress of Nigeria (ULC), has come out to pass a vote of no confidence on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
The ULC made this known over the weekend when it accused the leadership of the NLC, of having failed Nigerian workers.
Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of ULC made this known during the Zonal Council Meeting of the union in Kaduna, lamenting over NLC’s failure to pay its affiliated retirees, their pension after many years of labour.
“NLC has failed Nigerian workers. You can see the impact of the failure; the pains, the agony on Nigerian workers”, he said.
“Comrades, there is not much to say over this than to remphasize that NLC has failed”, Ajaero stated.
According to him, “In some of the states up till today, Nigerian workers have not received their salaries while pensioners whom are affiliate of NLC are yet to receive their pensions”.
“These are workers who have put in their best and gave all their sacrifices to get Nigeria to where it is today, and they are retired and cannot be paid, and NLC is sitting down there saying they are NLC”.
“The only hope for the Nigerian workers today is the United Labour Congress”, he stated.
Speaking further, Comrade Ajaero said, “it is sad to hear the story of corruption and fraud activities in NSITF, where labour leaders from the NLC are members and as board members and you hear that in one day, N5 billion of workers hard earned contributions have been withdrawn and unaccounted for”.
“These are the issues we talk about; that Nigerian workers should rise up and begin to ask question of their future because, we need a labour union like ULC to move this country and the labour movement forward”, Ajaero stressed.
Corroborating his President’s position on NLC’s failure to protect the interest of nigerian workers, the National Secretary of the Union, Comrade Didi Adodo who was also at the council meeting, said:
“Wrong people have found themselves into the leadership of the labour movement and that is what we want to change with the formation of the United Labour Congress”.
When asked whether the ULC will pass a vote of no confidence on NLC over its bad leadership, Adodo said: ”it was a vote of no confidence that led to the formation of United Labour Congress”.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the meeting, Comrade Joe Ajaero, president of ULC who was represented by his deputy, Comrade Igwe Achese, debunked the wide spread notion that the ULC is not recognized.
Comrade Achese, stated that they will remain unshakable despite the heap of intimidation and petitions against them by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the NLC.
“Nothing can stop ULC from been recognized. I have said this again and again that ULC has come to stay because, where ever we are today, Nigerians are expecting us to continue to work. That’s why we had this meeting to sensitize our state chairmen to go out and begin to work to restore that lost hope of Nigerian workers”, he said.
“The purpose of the meeting was to show people that ULC is existing”, he emphasized.
The ULC President however assured Nigerian workers of increase in their salary, as the union will ably represent them at the ongoing deliberation on minimum wage before the Federal Government
“We hope that ULC will collaborate will government to bring hope and smiles to the faces of all Nigerian workers”, he said.
