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By Bimbola Oyesola
Organised Labour, at the weekend, threatened to carry out a one-day action in Lagos State, if by today, the government fails to yield court order to vacate the premises of Road Transport Employers Association (RTEAN) and National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
Accusing the state government of gross violation of court proceedings, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), whose two unions, RTEAN and NURTW, are members, in a letter to the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and signed by TUC’s Secretary General, Nuhu Toro, and NLC’s General Secretary, Emma Ugboaja, said the one day action would only be a warning.
“This will serve as a warning before the labour centres embark on full industrial strikes and actions against your government, until it agrees to obey the courts, the constitution and international conventions on the rights of human beings,” the NLC and TUC threatened.
The two centres said they hoped that the state governor would take advantage of the ultimatum.
They, however added: “But if you allow this situation to further degenerate, the TUC, NLC and Nigerian workers might be compelled to use all legal means, including international civil and criminal courts to bring Your Excellency and your appointees to justice.”
The Lagos State government has banned the activities of the two affiliates, the NURTW and the RTEAN, in March and September of 2022, respectively.
The labour centres, in the letter congratulating Sanwo-Olu for his second term victory, described the proscription as unacceptable violation of the country’s constitution, which the governor has sworn to uphold, disobedience of court orders and abridgement of fundamental human rights as regards their affiliates.
Labour emphasised that it was a gross violation of Section 40 of the Constitution, which guarantees Nigerians the right to freedom of association, adding that trade unions are on the Exclusive Legislative List, “which, in simple language, means that states, including Lagos State, do not have powers over trade unions, not to talk about proscribing them.”
It stated that the act also violates Article 2 of the United Nations Declaration on Fundamental Human Rights, which states that: “Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, as well as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No 87, which guarantees humans the right to freely associate.
The trade centres also noted that seizure of the RTEAN offices built by the union is a gross violation of the constitutional right to own property, and the state constitutional duty to defend private property.
It added: “The seizure by your government of two TUC buses found in the premises of the RTEAN and repainting them, has no other word, but theft. It is unacceptable that your government continues to hold on to the TUC buses and put them to use.”
Labour said the National Industrial Court (NIC), which is an appellate court, ruled on April 18, 2023, that the actions of “your government are illegal and in gross violation of the constitution.”
It stated that the court has ruled that the state has no power to dissolve the leadership of RTEAN operating in Lagos State and appoint a caretaker committee to run its affairs. It equally said the court granted perpetual injunction restraining the governor and appointed officers from further interfering in the functions of Lagos State branch of the RTEAN, while it ordered the Lagos State police to vacate the union’s premises.
