NLC threatens to tackle infractions on workers’ rights

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), says it will mobilise action against state governments and other employers of labour using the COVID-19 pandemic as a ploy to sack workers and undermine their rights.

Mr Ayuba Wabba, NLC President, said this while speaking with newsmen on the commencement of the Central Working Committee (CWC), meeting of the NLC on Wednesday, in Abuja.

Wabba said that organised labour and its allies would tackle any infraction on workers’ rights.

According to him, organised labour is worried at the trend whereby workers are being used as scapegoats for the economic challenges brought about by COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are having this meeting at a time when workers are going through various challenges.

“We expect to make far reaching pronouncements on how to engage employers of labour that have tried to undermine the fundamental rights of workers, especially state governments.

“If you remember, we had written to two state governors on the issue, while one had responded, the other has not.

“We are going to tackle them headlong. This is because we believe that people must respect the rule of law, especially those in authority.

“We cannot fold our hands and people continue to undermine our laws and rights of workers and we continue to lament.

“In proceeding with this action, we thought that we should consult with our organs so that we will decide how to deal with the fundamental issues affecting Nigerian workers at the most moment,” he said.

Wabba noted that labour movement had recently intervened in disputes in the aviation sector, banking sector, manufacturing industry and others that had tried to sack workers and trample on their rights.

He said that such industries did so in the guise of responding to challenges of COVID-19 without recourse to due process of law and collective dialogue.

NLC president said that the CWC meeting would afford the central labour organisation the opportunity to prioritise its engagements and to decode areas to tackle first.