From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, has come under fire from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for reportedly attempting to thwart the implementation of a recent agreement the NLC made with the Federal Government.
According to NLC, the minister was taking a side in the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) conflict.
It stated that if the situation led to a national industrial disaster, Nigerians would hold the minister accountable.
A statement issued by the NLC General Secretary, Mr. Emmanuel Ugboaja, claimed that the government was aiding the NURTW’s illegal faction and encouraging them to hold their own delegates conferences, both zonally and nationally, to give their actions validity.
NLC said: “In a shocking turn of events, the Federal Minister of Labour, Mr. Lalong, has thrown a spanner in the wheel of the implementation of the Labour – Federal Government Agreement by his unmasked partiality in handling a critical item in the agreement which is the apparent government meddling in trade union matters by siding with people, who had illegally seized the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) headquarters with police support,” It said.
It added that such acts not only constitute interference in the internal affairs of a union, in violation of ILO Conventions 87 and 98, but also represents a clear attempt to sabotage the recently ratified agreement between the labour movement and the Federal Government.
The NLC stated that it was inconceivable that a Federal Minister of Labour, who was responsible for defending the rights and interests of many stakeholders in the nation’s industrial relations system, would choose to take measures that would jeopardise the entire basis of the engagement.
It further added that it was clear that the Federal Government never negotiated in good faith and was never genuinely committed to honouring the terms of the October 2, 2023 agreement.
“The minister’s decision, which is clearly morally reprehensible and legally untenable, marks a disheartening departure from the expected standards of conduct within the nation’s industrial relations sphere.
“Despite initial assurances from the minister regarding the illegal occupation of the NURTW’s National Headquarters, the democratically elected leadership, led by Comrade Tajudeen Baruwa, has not been reinstated,” it said.
“This serves to affirm our earlier apprehension that the state was maneuvering to orchestrate a coup d’état against the democratically elected NURTW leadership, potentially alluding to the support of the government, as suggested by Minister Lalong’s actions and statements.
“There is no doubt, both to us and the Nigerian public, about the government’s intentions regarding the implementation of the October 2, 2023 agreement.
“It is evident that akin to the NURTW issue, the execution of other facets of the agreement may be jeopardized. Therefore, we take heed of Minister Lalong’s actions, which flagrantly violate an accord responsibly endorsed by all involved parties,” NLC said.
The labour movement also claimed that the police assisted members of the Lagos Lands, Parks and Garages Commission in Lagos State, not the NURTW, in forcibly occupying the union’s headquarters in Abuja, which led to the NURTW leadership crisis.
NLC stated that Baruwa’s leadership was chosen democratically and strictly in accordance with union statutes, national laws, and International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention.