Labour Bill: Masari, Oshiomhole in Secret Talks
NLC to storm N/Assembly today
FromAhamefula Ogbu in Abuja, Chris Nwachuku, Francis Onwudo, Hilda Esin in Lagos and Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi
In an apparent last minute lobby against the passage of the Labour Reform Bill, President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole yesterday met with Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari. The meeting took place as the House continues debate on the Labour Bill today.
Also, the NLC will today stage a demonstration rally inside the National Assembly complex as part of the first phase of its campaign rallies to register its opposition to the executive sponsored bill currently at the second reading stage in the legislature.
Attempts by newsmen to gain insight into the issues discussed in the Oshiomhole/Masari parley was rebuffed by the Speaker. "Who brought press men here? Eh eh, I will not talk to you if you are here with the press, he told Oshiomhole." Following this, journalists that were earlier seated for the meeting were excused out of the parley.
The meeting, which lasted for almost 30 minutes, was attended by some members of the House and two other NLC officials. When it ended, Masari escorted the NLC leader to his car before he drove off leaving the NLC team behind.
Approached for comments, Oshiomhole was hesitant but insisted that he had not lost hope in the bid to halt the planned decentralization of the Labour unions.
The NLC President expressed confidence in the workings of the House and said he would not venture further guesses on how the legislature would decide on the matter over which labour had vowed to stage protests.
Although sources at the meeting said the NLC officials could not extract any word of support from Masari on the bill, this was denied by one of the officials who pleaded anonymity, insisting that "we had a meaningful discussion. He has always received us well and today was not different".
None of the NLC officials however sounded confident that the Speaker was on their side. Masari had at the wake of the controversy over the receipt of the bill by the National Assembly, assured that the legislators would thoroughly debate the bill and whatever position they would take would reflect the greater interest of Nigerians.
At the just concluded retreat of the House in Minna, Niger State, President Olusegun Obasanjo had while declaring the event open, charged members to expedite action on the passage of the Labour Reform Bill among others.
Asked what assurance he had from the National Assembly, Oshiomole said, "Well, you know the hearing is tomorrow (today) and till then we can say we don't know how. We await their deliberation".
On his expectations from the debate from the House today, the NLC president again replied, "you know better. You know how the House works so after debate tomorrow (today) so for now we don't know which way it is going to go. Tomorrow you will watch the debate and see which way it is going to go".
On whether he has confidence that the House will consider the bill his way, he replied, "We have confidence in the workings of the House. If we did not have confidence in them we would not have come to persuade them".
Oshiomhole explained that life was lived by hope and that as far as there was life he had hope that the House would reject the bill.
Contributing to what may be an insight on how the House would vote on the bill, Hon Chuma Nzeribe said for the reform programme of the government to work, there was need for the reform of Labour. He argued that the salary bills of some states cover 70 percent of their allocations, which also go to less than 25 percent of the population who are civil servants.
According to him, such a lopsided distribution of national wealth does not augur well for the growth of the economy. He also cited instances where Labour forced filling stations and banks to close down because of strike, thereby leaving the country vulnerable.
The NLC rally is expected to be attended by leaders of civil society groups led by Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, chairman of Campaign for Democracy (CD).
But the Senate last night declared that the rallies will not stop the lawmakers from going ahead with the debate of the bill scheduled for today. The Senate noted that the labour bill like every other bill deserves a fair and objective hearing by the National Assembly.
Oshiomhole told THISDAY last night that workers will go ahead with the protest rallies at the assembly complex as planned. He noted that the rallies are not intended to disrupt the operations of the lawmakers but to further explain to them the position of organised labour and majority of Nigerians on the provisions of the proposed law.
Oshiomhole said the rallies only seek to persuade the lawmakers not to rubber stamp the bill in the interest of the future of Nigerians.
"The rally tomorrow (today) will still go ahead. It is not a strike or a demonstration aimed at disrupting activities at the National Assembly. Our plan is to explain to the lawmakers the dangers inherent in the passage of the bill. In fact, our action is predicated on our belief that there still exist in the National Assembly, men with conscience, men with goodwill who are ready to look beyond the exigencies of today. We have no doubt that these men conscious of their place in history will be eager to do the bidding of Nigerians rather than the executive," Oshiomhole stated.
The labour leader again denied Obasanjo's statement that his interest in labour led to the formation of NLC.
Oshiomhole said there can be nothing further from the truth, as the NLC was a creation of Nigerian workers. He said what Obasanjo did, typical of military regime was to hijack workers position by promulgating a law. The action, he noted, was to unite and control NLC which Obasanjo failed to achieve.
Meanwhile, leadership of civil society groups will be in Abuja this morning to join NLC in the march to the National Assembly. Ransome-Kuti will lead the team that will join NLC demonstration at the National Assembly complex.
At a symposium on Trade Union Act amendment Bill, organised by Kolagbodi Memorial Foundation and Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR), labour and civil society leaders accused government of manipulating the amendment exercise, to destabilise the platform provided by workers in resisting anti-people's policies.
General Secretary of Amalgamated Union, S.O.Z. Ejiofor faulted governments position on the need for decentralisation of NLC. He said the action is not democratic in nature. Ejiofor stated that the bill is against Labour interest, and that the people's interest is better protected with a larger and stronger NLC.
Segun Sango, General Secretary, Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) described the Labour bill as a revenge for the four general strikes that NLC had called in the last four years. He noted that if passed, the legal and democratic rights of workers to freely associate will be lost.
The Senate said last night that the debate of the bill will continue today. Its Committee Chairman on Labour and Productivity, Senator Awa Henshaw told THISDAY last night on telephone that there is nothing on the ground to stop the lawmakers from debating the bill.
He said the labour bill, like every other bill, cannot just be stopped by rallies staged by interested parties rather the demonstration will only encourage the legislators to be very objective and fair in the debate.
"We are going ahead to debate it tomorrow (today). We don't think rallies by workers will stop it. We will only be fair and objective, knowing that the entire country is interested," Henshaw said.
He, however, urged NLC to utilise the public hearing on Wednesday to push its positions forward.
Henshaw said in taking a final decision on the bill the lawmakers will be concerned with the welfare of workers, conventions of International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the practices in other countries of the world.
However, the Bauchi State Chapter of the NLC has expressed fears that the passage of the Labour bill by the National Assembly could pose real threat to the current democratic dispensation.
Rising from a meeting of the congress yesterday in Bauchi, the State Chairman of the NLC, Comrade Ibrahim Ilyasu Zwall said the bill which was initiated by the Obasanjo administration contained some provisions that seek to infringe on rights of workers and the unions in the country.
Zwall who pointed out that the bill is not only unconstitutional but could at the end of the day impact negatively on the nation's democracy and national interest.
"The NLC is at alert and would not condone any act that would be inimical or detrimental to its existence because President Obasanjo's bill is meant to not only deregister our union as a Central Labour Organization but was aimed at also imposing restrictions on the right of workers to use the medium of strike in pursuit of grievances, among others," he said.
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