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Urges Tinubu to fast-track state police
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Says economic reforms yet to reflect in workers’ pockets
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has thrown its weight behind the ongoing strike by aviation workers, demanding the remittance of about N25 billion in ticket charges reportedly owed workers.
TUC President Festus Osifo disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at a press briefing on the state of the nation, where he also called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to fast-track the establishment of state police to address the country’s security challenges.
Osifo said the aviation workers, under the congress’ affiliate, the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), embarked on the strike after efforts to resolve issues surrounding workers’ unionisation and the remittance of the five per cent ticket charge failed.
The labour leader said airlines had allegedly prevented workers from joining unions, describing the practice as a violation of workers’ rights. He noted that the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Convention, as well as the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, give workers the right to unionise.
He said the TUC had fully endorsed the action by the aviation workers, insisting that the issues responsible for the strike must be addressed rather than merely seeking a temporary resolution.
Osifo also alleged that about N25 billion in five per cent ticket charges meant to be remitted to workers had remained unpaid by airlines. He said the congress would continue to engage relevant authorities and stakeholders to ensure that the money was remitted.
“We have endorsed what they are doing 100 per cent, and we are giving them total support to ensure that these issues are resolved,” he said.
The TUC president warned that simply persuading the unions to suspend the strike without addressing the underlying issues could result in another industrial action.
“If you try to placate the issues without resolving them, and we call off the strike today, tomorrow there will be another strike again. So it is better we go to the root cause and resolve the issues once and for all,” he said.
On insecurity, Osifo urged the Federal Government to fast-track the establishment of state police, arguing that the concerns of politicians should not be allowed to override the security needs of the majority of Nigerians.
He said the argument that state police could be abused by politicians should not be used to delay the reform, noting that politicians constitute less than 0.1 per cent of the country’s population.
“How can we, because of less than 0.1 per cent of the Nigerian population, allow 99.99 per cent to suffer? That is not logical,” Osifo said.
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He urged the President and the National Assembly to expedite action on the proposed constitutional amendments required to establish state police.
“We think that the time to implement state police is now,” he said, adding that the government had the political capacity to secure passage of the necessary legislation.
Osifo also called for the deployment of modern technology and appropriate equipment to strengthen the country’s security architecture, stressing that insecurity must be treated as an emergency.
On the economy, the TUC president said although some macroeconomic indicators, including inflation and the exchange rate, had shown relative stability, the improvement had yet to translate into better living conditions for ordinary Nigerians.
He argued that the naira remained undervalued and said the government should work towards an exchange rate of between N900 and N1,000 to the dollar.
Osifo also urged the government not to discontinue food importation until domestic production is sufficient to meet the country’s needs, warning that stopping imports prematurely could trigger another surge in food prices.
He said farmers must first be able to return safely to their farms and increase production before the government considers ending the policy.
On the petroleum sector, the TUC president rejected the outright sale of Nigeria’s refineries, advocating instead for a reduction of government’s equity to 49 per cent and the injection of competent private investors with a 51 per cent stake.
He said such an arrangement would reduce political interference and ensure that decisions concerning the refineries were driven by commercial and technical considerations.
Aviation unions on Tuesday disrupted flight operations in Lagos and Abuja, barricading airport terminals and leaving passengers stranded. Air Peace, Enugu Air and United Nigeria Airlines suspended or rescheduled flights due to restricted terminal access.
The industrial action is linked to union grievances over workers’ right to unionise and the alleged non-remittance of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) collected from passengers.
