‘We’ve right to belong to trade union’

The Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Service Technical and Recreation Services Employees (AUPCTRE)  has insisted  the union can  belong to a trade  union as enshrined in section 4 of  1999 constitution (as  amended). A statement issued yesterday by Comrade Ayeoribe Emmanuel  on behalf of  AUPCTRE General Secretary explained  that the  constitution which guarantees  freedom […]

The Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Service Technical and Recreation Services Employees (AUPCTRE)  has insisted  the union can  belong to a trade  union as enshrined in section 4 of  1999 constitution (as  amended).

A statement issued yesterday by Comrade Ayeoribe Emmanuel  on behalf of  AUPCTRE General Secretary explained  that the  constitution which guarantees  freedom of association of citizens to belong to any political party, trade union or any  other association for the protection of their interests  has duly clarified the membership  crisis between the union and the  Management of Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) and the  Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC).

Ayeoribe said “it was malicious and untrue the recent statement issued by SSASCGOC that the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has warned the union against disrupting the activities of the management of SON, saying it was meant to discredit the ministry and misinformed the public.

He argued that its rights to exist as a trade union is further affirmed in the Trade Union’s (Amendment) ACT 2005 section 2(4) which states: “…membership of a trade union by employees shall be voluntary and no employees shall be forced to join any trade union or be victimized for refusing to join or remain a member.”

He, therefore, said the union finds it strange that SSASCGOC under whatever guise could claim AUPCTRE is a junior staff union even as he  claimed that  AUPCTRE has been the sole trade union organizing workers in SON ever since.

He alleged that SSASCGOC has poached over its legitimate members in SON with the tacit connivance of some officials of SON, who are not satisfied with the upright posture of AUPCTRE leadership in SON.

Comrade Ayeoribe added that the lamentation of SSASCGOC that AUPCTRE in conjunction with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is “threatening to picket SON amounts to weeping more than the bereaved as SSASCGOC has never been known to have been appointed as Public Relations Officer of SON.”