The National Administrative Council NAC of the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC, comprising of the leadership of Congress met on Wednesday May 23, 2012, and held deliberations on a number of national issues. The following are the outcomes of from the meeting.
CURRENT CHALLENGES
Congress calls all affiliate unions and state councils to remain steadfast in the struggle for total implementation of the new minimum wage in all the states of the Federation.
It also resolved to oppose any increase in energy tariff without improved power supply, while it calls on all affiliate unions to continue the demand for the holistic restructuring of the downstream petroleum sector through building of the new refineries and self sufficiency in products supply. The NLC salutes Mr President’s directive to the Attorney-General of the Federation to prosecute all those found culpable in the recent report of the House of Representatives on the probe of the oil subsidy regime in the country.
The assurance by Mr. President that there will be no sacred cows in the investigation and prosecution of the corruption in the downstream sector of the oil industry is laudable and deserve commendation.
The Nigeria Labour Movement and indeed all Nigerians, look forward to a through and diligent prosecution by the Attorney-General and the security agencies in order to disabuse the minds of the watching public and to ensure that the process is not a hollow ritual. We urge the President to ignore advisers that are determined to set him on an unnecessary collision course with the people over policies that undermine prosperity and worsen the country’s poverty level. Any attempt to contemplate fuel price increase when those who looted the subsidy fund walk around as untouchables will be contemptuous of the people and an invitation to anarchy.
TRADE UNION UNITY
The NLC reaffirms the unity and indivisibility of the Congress and salutes the solidarity of all its affiliates in the face of the current challenges facing workers. Congress, regrettably noted the recent media statement credited to the General Secretary of the Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), Comrade Peters Adeyemi, and the President of the National Union of Hotels and Personal Services Workers (NUHPSW), Comrade Leke Success, purported to be a reaction to a similar regrettable statement purported to be issued by the Congress.
Congress noted that at no time was there a decision to engage any of the affiliate unions of the NLC, including great unions like NASU and (NUHPSW) in unnecessary media exchanges and war of attrition over issues that are purely internal and clearly surmountable.
As a democratic organisation, internal contestations are inevitable. Indeed debates and divergent views are part of the great democratic heritage of the NLC. Therefore, recent discordant voices of some unionists after the last Delegates’ Conference of the NLC are not unusual. It has happened in the past and the NLC has emerged even stronger and better positioned for the defence of workers’ rights. NLC therefore wishes to call all its affiliates to service its unity through its time tested internal democratic structures.
Congress notes that there is no divided labour family as all grievances are surmountable.
Accordingly, NAC urges the leaders of the aggrieved unions in the interest of the Nigerian workers to utilise the conflict resolution mechanism in the Congress and join the Congress in the great indivisible task of defence of workers’ rights.
DEATH AND BURIALS OF COMRADES OLAITAN OYERINDE AND PASCAL BAFYAU
The NLC salutes all affiliates and well wishers of labour for their solidarity after the brutal assignation of Comrade Oyerinde and sudden death of the 3rd President of NLC, Comrade Pascal Bafyau. After due consultations with the family of late Comrade Bafyua, the burial has been fixed for June 23, 2012, at his home town Lamorde in Adamawa state.
Abdulwahed I. Omar
President
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