Division of labour: as NLC celebrates May Day

By

Emeka Ibemere

Although the hangover associated with May Day celebration of workers in Nigeria, who joined their counterparts around the world; last week to mark the 2015 May Day may have died down, but the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, are still to wake up from the memory of their last election controversy.

The other way round, if the March 28, 2015 Presidential election in Nigeria had been conducted before the NLC February 11, 2015 Congress election, both Joe Ajaero and Wabba Ayuba, would have learned from President Goodluck Jonathan on how to accept defeat and congratulate the winner of their election and allow the hangover to leave them and by now they would have written their names in golden Wall of NLC Fame. But the least was the case.

It would be recalled that the General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Joe Ajaero, was elected the factional leader of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), at a special delegates’ conference held in Lagos.

The group claimed 22 unions including Electricity Workers Union, Nigerian Textile Workers Union and Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), among others participated in the delegate conference. The unions opposed the results of the election that produced Ayuba Wabba president of the NLC at the 11th delegate conference held at the Eagle Square in Abuja.

The parallel executive members elected include Joe Ajaero (President), Issa Aremu; ‎who was former vice president of NLC (deputy president) and Igwe Achese, (deputy president 2), Kasumu Kadiri, Kelly Ogbaloi and Yashi Yahaya as vice presidents.

The NLC’s General Secretary, Dr Peter Ozo-Eson, said the crisis is influenced by individuals who were driven by inordinate ambition and vainglory. He therefore advised all affiliate unions of the Labour body to steer clear of the factional conference. “Affiliate unions of the Nigeria Labour Congress are hereby advised to ignore any invitation to such a conference as the 11th Delegates Conference was concluded in the early hours of Saturday, March, 14, 2015 following the successful election of the national executives of the Congress in a free, fair and credible election under the watchful eyes of unions, delegates, invited guests, veterans and members of the media.”

NLC’s General Secretary, Ozo-Eson, stated that the processes leading to the elections and the elections themselves were manifestly transparent, incontestable and unimpeachable. He added that all the contestants and their delegates voluntarily lent and submitted themselves to the electioneering/voting processes and no objections were raised during the voting. He said: “At no time, from the commencement of the accreditation of delegates to the voting, counting of votes and announcement of results was any complaint raised or lodged.” He appealed to the individuals involved in the Lagos conference to desist from any act of tarnishing the image of the Congress.

“Congress therefore finds it necessary to advise that individuals should resist the temptation to be used as agents of fictionalisation or destabilisation of the Congress. The Congress is bigger than any of us,” he said.

Dr Ayaba Waba of the Medical and Health Workers Union (MHWU), allegedly emerged the new president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), but his opponent, Joe Ajero said he would not accept the result of the election.

It was alleged that Waba pulled 1, 695 votes of the 3, 115 votes to defeat his main rival, Joe Ajero from the Nigeria Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) who pulled 1, 140 votes. 3119 delegates from 43 affiliate unions of the NLC were accredited for the election. The controversial election is what has caused the division in the ‎NLC.

NLC’s election this year was an attempt by the workers to elect their new executives to guide the affairs of the Congress for another four years. But the election which took place on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 has polarised the Union. According to the list by the NLC, three candidates, Comrade Joseph Ajaero, the General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Comrade Igwe Achese, the National President of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and Comrade Ayuba Wabba, National President of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MH­WUN), contested the election.

Further report said the three Deputy Presidents, Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), who backed out of the Congress due to the previous crisis that rocked the labour after the last election, however presented its General Secretary, Comrade Peter Adeyemi, the General Secretary of the National Union of Textiles, Comrade Issa Aremu and the National Presi­dent of the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), Comrade Kiri Mohammed.

According to the list by the NLC, three candidates, Comrade Joseph Ajaero, the General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employ­ees (NUEE), Comrade Igwe Achese, the National President of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and Comrade Ayuba Wabba, National President of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MH­WUN), contested the election.

The four position available for the Vice Presidency have  Comrade Solomon Adelegan of the Amalgamated union, Comrade Amechi Asuguni of the Construction union, Comrade Dutsinma Lawal of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) and Comrade Lateef Oyelekan, National President of the National Union of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE).

Others include, Treasurer, Comrade Khaleel Ibrahim, from Local govern­ment Union; Financial Secretary, Com­rade Safiyanu Mohammed, Air Trans­port Union; Trustee, Comrade Boniface Isok, National President, National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Mettalic Union and Comrade Otu Kelechi, Metal Products Senior Staff Association.

The auditors, with only three slots have eight contestants, Comrade Sunday Alhassan, National President, National Union of Post and Telecom­munications; Comrade Danjuma Papa, National Union of Printing; Comrade Leke Success, National Union of Hotels and Personal Services; Comrade Anchaver Simon, Agric and Allied Employees, Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi, National President, National Union of Shop and Distributive Employees (NUSDE); Comrade Okoro, National Union of Railywaymen; Comrade Yemisi Bamgbose, National President of Radio and Television and Theatre Workers Union and Comrade Yahaya Yasin, Nigeria Union of Civil Service Secretariat.

 Comrade Danesi Amina of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institution (ASSBIFI) is contested for the position of the Ex-Officio.

 Several reports added that the twist in the election was the adoption of other officers elected unopposed at the Abuja conference and had been part of the team. But in his acceptance speech to his own division, Ajaero reeled out his plans and programmes for workers, and promised to overhaul NLC. He commended the delegates for the confidence reposed in him, ‎saying the former President of NLC, Abdulwahed Omar failed in all areas.

The 2015 May Day came on heels of double barrel celebration with discordant tunes coming from the two proposed event venues due to the controversy that surrounded the election which was recently held by the NLC.  The two factions of the NLC held different rallies in Abuja and Lagos, even as the Lagos event was allegedly disrupted by the police for not obtaining permit.

The Wabba Ayuba-led faction had their rally in Abuja, while the Joe Ajaero-led faction’s show was disrupted by the police in Lagos. This year’s celebration came amidst of fuel scarcity, rising inflation, insecurity, and a divided NLC, among other national challenges. The division among the labour union and their leaders and the parallel rally allegedly prompted President Goodluck Jonathan to stay away from the organisation’s event. In Abuja, the usual demand for an increase in the minimum wage and their stance opposition on any plan to remove fuel subsidy tops the agenda.

The Joint Chairman, 2015 May Day Committee of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), Peters Adeyemi, said in Abuja that labour does not believe government pays any subsidy on petroleum products. He declared that labour would not accept any increase in the price of petroleum products.

Adeyemi also said Congress has begun work to justify pay increment. He listed naira devaluation; rising cost of living and inflation as factors that have eroded the gains achieved when minimum wage was moved to N18, 000.

In a related development, workers under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers backed by the Ajaero-led NLC took to the streets in Lagos to protest the alleged rot in the oil and gas sector as well as the proposed removal of fuel subsidy by government. The group called on the incoming government to cancel all contracts reached with Niger- Delta militants to protect petroleum pipelines across the country.

The workers who trekked through Ikorodu road down to Maryland where they were addressed by their leaders, also pledged to move to the National Assembly, for the same protest, warning that they are opposed to fuel subsidy removal.

In Warri, Delta State, the event was marked in an atmosphere of tension in the state as two newly inaugurated factions of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, celebrated the occasion in Asaba.

Both Delta NLC factions, one led by Williams Akporeha and the other by David Ofoyeno, which sprouted from the crisis rocking the national body, also held different Workers Day rallies in the state capital today.

Newswatch Times gathered that the Akporeha faction had earlier shortly after a meeting with congress leadership, said that it would celebrate the event at the Saint Patrick’s College playground with Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan expected to grace the occasion. Ofoyeno, in similar fashion enjoined all Delta workers to join the parade to celebrate the workers day today.

What looked like trouble was said to have started when two members of the Medical and Health Workers Union (MHWUN) were reported to have initiated an order of interim injunction restraining one of the presidential candi­dates, who was an incumbent president of the union from contesting the election. However, this angle was diffused when the secretariat of the union denied any such order from the National Indus­trial Court, noting that it was just a trick by one of the contestants to distract and discredit its candidate.

Comrade Marcus Omokhuale, the General Secre­tary of MHWUN, stated that the court could not have given any verdict, without hearing from the two sides. “It was in the past that such could have happened, this day, the court cannot give such injunction without hearing from the two sides. It was not substantial and just a plot by one of the contestants to push our candidate out, we know the truth and we are going ahead with the election”, he stated.

Many commentators and stakeholders have been criticising NLC for its failed bid to have credible, free and fair election and wondered how the Congress could salvage the plight of Nigerian workers in the midst of cheap and slavery labour experienced by the workers. According to them, the politicisation of labour by the political power holders has worsened the NLC in post-military era.

Prior to the election, Nigerian workers have expressed hope that the new regime of the new executives would emerge to give direction to the NLC which is suffering constipation. But rather than settle for one leadership to give direction, the Congress shut itself by rejecting the result of the election, thereby endangering the progress of the congress.

General opinion expressed by ordinary Nigerians today is that NLC has become toothless bulldog. According to them, Bulldogs bark but in the case of NLC, it cannot bark talk more of biting.  It is true that labour leaders have different styles of leadership. Those who spoke to our correspondent on the issue said that NLC has lost its touch and vibrancy that gave the former NLC President, now Edo State governor, a kind of platform to win election. Chukwudi Nwosu, a freight Forwarder bemoaned the plight of the organisation and added that the Comrades have lost their activism.

 But in a reported statement, Comrade Peter Adeyemi, the General Secretary, of the Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), believed that the organized labour has not failed Nigerian workers and the masses, most especially at the affiliate levels. He however agreed that the organized labour at the turn of this election must re-enact the ideal that the movement stand for.

“My expectation of the election is that the Congress would be able to produce visionary, effective, functional leadership that will restore the lost glory of the number one labour centre. An executive that would rekindle the hope of the workers in the NLC,” he was quoted as saying.

For Comrade Igwe Achese, the National President of NUPENG said the election would have been a turning point in the life of the nation’s politics had the election conducted on the basis of fairness and equity, which he said was the ideal of the NLC.

The history of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), as an umbrella organisation for trade unions in Nigeria started in 1978, following a merger of four different organisations: Nigeria Trade Union Congress (NTUC), Labour Unity Front (LUF), United Labour Congress (ULC) and Nigeria Workers Council (NWC). The numerous affiliated unions were restructured into 42 industrial unions. Its founding President was Wahab Goodluck.

During its long years of history, conflicts with the military regime twice led to the dissolution of the NLC's national organs, the first in 1988 under the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida and the second in 1994, under the regime of General Sani Abacha. Under Nigeria's military governments, labour leaders were frequently arrested and union meetings disrupted. Following democratic reforms in the country, some of the anti-union regulations were abolished in January 1999. The same month Adams Oshiomhole was elected President of the reformed organisation.

Today, the NLC has over 29 affiliated unions. In total, they gather around over four million members, according to their own figures. This makes the NLC one of the largest trade union organisations in Africa.

Throughout 1999 to date it has been a conflict between the NLC and the government due to the organisation's opposition to incessant fuel hikes. The several price increases have been bone of contentions between several governments in Nigeria. The NLC has led several general strikes protesting the government's fuel price policies.

It would be recalled that in September 2004, the NLC gave the federal government an ultimatum to reverse the decision to reintroduce the controversial fuel tax or face a nationwide protest strike. The strike threat was made despite the fact that a Federal High Court judgement in an earlier dispute had declared the organisation lacking legal power to call a general strike over government policies.

Following the announcement of the strike plans, the then NLC claims President Adams Oshiomhole was arrested October 9, 2004 at a protest at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport. According to the organisation, Oshiomhole was abducted by a team of operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) numbering over fifteen. The then State Security Services said that the then NLC president had a misunderstanding with field operatives, but that the matter was soon resolved.

With what is on ground, it seems that the once vibrant NLC is on a journey of no return having pitted its leadership after years of unity and strong opposition to political injustice, inhuman government policies, and military juntas.