A new central labour union?

Two weeks ago, twenty five trade unions in this country said they had formed a new central labour union called United Labour Congress, ULC. Joe Ajaero, General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees [NUEE] emerged as its president while Igwe Achese, President of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers [NUPENG] […]

Two weeks ago, twenty five trade unions in this country said they had formed a new central labour union called United Labour Congress, ULC. Joe Ajaero, General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees [NUEE] emerged as its president while Igwe Achese, President of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers [NUPENG] emerged as ULC’s Deputy President. 

Trade unions said to have transferred their allegiance from the forty year old Nigeria Labour Congress [NLC] to ULC include NUPENG, NUEE, Nigeria Union of Mine Workers, National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Employees and the Nigeria Union of Rail Workers.  Others include the National Union of Lottery Agents and Employees, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers.

ULC’s formation appears to be a continuation of the crises that bedevilled NLC and led to the formation of two factions after its last National Delegates Conference in Abuja in 2014.  Ajaero was leader of the rebel NLC faction formed after that episode which was later dissolved. After his recent election as ULC’s leader, Ajaero promised to protect the interest of workers.  He said, “The new labour centre, instead of weakening the movement, will present labour as a creative partner that has strategic benefits for its publics, especially for the employers and the government.” He said the issue of factions in NLC is over and that ULC’s formation is an answer to the need to fight for workers who work without being paid salaries. ULC immediately scheduled its first protest against a major airline on account of its failure to pay workers’ salaries for seven months.

NLC President Ayuba Wabba reacted to ULC’s formation by calling on members and the general public to remain calm. He said NLC will not allow any member to be pulled out of the congress without their consent.  “The congress will like to assure our members across the country and the general public that the leadership of NLC is committed to the unity of the working class in the country notwithstanding the latest declaration by Ajaero and Achese. We shall do everything within our power to preserve the unity and coherence of the labour movement which was handed down to us by our forebears in the movement.  We will ensure that their leaders do not, out of their consuming ambition to be leaders of a ‘national centre’, lead them into the wilderness,’’ he said.

While it is true that Nigeria had more than one central trade union until the mid-1970s, we believe that the formation of another central trade union at this time will harm the interest of Nigerian workers rather than help it. NLC is weaker today than it has been since the days when military governments twice dissolved its leadership and appointed interim administrators. Its current travails are however not of the government’s making. While politicians will always dabble into labour politics in pursuit of their own interests, there is no evidence in recent years that either the Jonathan regime or President Muhammadu Buhari’s current regime have worked underground to undermine labour unity and cohesion.

Instead, the current crises stem from the over-arching ambition of some unionists to occupy leadership positions in NLC, as well as an overarching desire by NLC’s former leaders to maintain control by anointing their surrogates as new leaders. In the process the larger interests of Nigerian workers have been jettisoned and compromised. Issues such as a new national minimum wage, protecting workers from hostile economic environment and hostile government policies, occupational safety, plight of pensioners etc all took a back seat while labour leaders struggled for personal position and gain. We urge eminent labour statesman such as Hassan Sunmonu and Adams Oshiomhole to intervene and restore unity to the labour movement for the good of workers and all Nigerians.