NLC Lobbies Govs, Legislators
By Chris Nwachuku in Lagos and Juliana Taiwo in Abuja
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has begun mass mobilisation against the labour bill submitted to the National Assembly by President Olusegun Obasanjo by appealling to state governors, National Assembly members, opinion leaders and non-government organisations to join forces in resisting the current move by the government to outlaw it.
In an open letter issued by the national secretariat of NLC, Labour stated that the polity would be endangered if the executive is allowed to repress and destroy the workers union.
The letter distributed yesterday by head of NLC Lagos office, Denja Yakup, enlisted the support of Nigerians.
"The administration hopes that by deregistering the NLC and seizing the trade unions, it can rule over a conquered people. It hopes that crushing Labour, its glaring failures on issues such as hunger, shelter, education, electricity, roads, insecurity, growing mass unemployment, corruption, fuel prices and poverty can be swept under the carpet," it stated
The workers noted that government action is informed by the role organised Labour is playing in the polity. It added that for the current freedom and democracy to be sustained Nigerians must join Labour to resist some sections of this bill.
NLC reminded National Assembly members of their mandate to side with the people and urged them to gauge public opinion before deciding on the bill.
"To the National Assembly, we say, do not forget you are the people's representatives. Do not be used by an executive that has no respect either for you or your constitutional duties. Call public hearings on the bill, do what is in the peoples' interest and not what is the passing fancy of the executive of the day," it stated.
The workers organisation also urged governors of the 36 states to appreciate the implication of the move by the Federal Government which it noted has the capacity to endanger the polity.
NLC urged all "leaders of thought, leaders of faith, professionals, market people, students, community leaders, civil society organizations, the informal sector operators, in deed all Nigerians ... to stand up and be counted"
It added that government sees NLC as the spokesperson of the people, defender of the helpless and champion of the common good and has resorted to disinformation and deception in order to ensure public support for the repressive policy against workers.
The statement reiterated that NLC was neither created by Obasanjo government nor an undemocratic organisation. Labour said that the fact that the organisation was born under the military does not make it illegal. It added that the present Obasanjo administration was also a product of the military, but that the circumstances of its birth does not make it undemocratic to the extent that it would need to be disbanded.
Meanwhile, NLC has written to Obasanjo expressing its concern over the continued closure of Slok Airlines Limited and the severe impact the suspension of the airline is having on the company's workers and their families.
In the letter signed by its President, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the NLC urged the President to ensure the ban on the airline is lifted. It said it is concerned particularly by the loss of jobs that may soon ensue should the forced closure persist.
"We understand that the Ministry of Aviation had withdrawn the Air Operators Certificate (AOC) and Air Transport Licence (ATL) of the airline, alleging 'unethical practices.' The management of Slok Limited had repeatedly repudiated this and insisted that the Ministry had acted in bad faith and beyond the bounds of legitimate regulatorship.
"Mr. President, it is beyond our competence, and certainly not our intention, to apportion culpability in this matter. However, it is difficult to view lightly the delay in resolving this unfortunate controversy, on the part of aviation authorities given the social dimension and the implication for private initiative," the congress stated.
It also appealed to "Mr. President to avail the workers of the airline and their families the benefit of (his) Excellency's goodwill by setting into motion the machinery necessary for the resumption of work in the company through the appropriate directives to the Honourable Minister of Aviation."
The NLC requested the president to intervene in the Slok airline issue so that it can be resolved expeditiously to avoid further hardship to workers and their families, and without compromising aviation safety and standards.
The Congress said it believed that given the administration's enunciated core objectives of private enterprise development and job creation, President Obasanjo would give urgent and positive consideration to the request.
Slok Airlines workers had two weeks ago sought the NLC's intervention to prevail on government to reverse the withdrawal of its license.
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