LABOUR NLC, TUC write FG over emergence of new trade unions

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have written to the federal government alerting it of the existence of a new labour union.

The letter dated 19, January, 2017 titled signed titled ‘Need to avert anarchy in the industrial relations system in the country: Mushroom/shell trade unions’ signed by NLC President Ayuba Wabba and TUC Bobboi Kaigama addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige.

The two labour leaders, in the letter, said that they were constrained to bring the issue to the minister’s attention because of the damage the new unions could cause the labour movement.

They recalled that those who are leading the new unions chose to do so after failing in their bid to lead the NLC following the successful conduct of the rescheduled election at the 10th delegates’ conference of the congress in March, 2015.

The letter reads in part: “Some of our colleagues have been making concerted efforts to destabilize the industrial relations scene in the country. This started with the effort to fractionalise the NLC which failed after almost two years of trying. In their desperation they have now purported to float a new trade union centre with the name United Labour Congress of Nigeria. In the last couple of months, they have collected forms for the registration of dozens of shell trade unions without membership.’’

It said that all the unions the splinter factions are wooing were already adequately covered by existing unions.

“One expects that people who operate at our level will know the relevant provisions of the Trade Union Act, but perhaps we are assuming too much. The Trade Union Act CAP T14, LFN, 2004, Section 3(2) provides thus: “But no trade union shall be registered to represent workers or employers in a place where there already exist a trade union,” the letter said.