Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) president, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has warned that the country risks being sanctioned by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), if the National Assembly passes the Trade Unions Act (amendment) Bill as formu-lated by the Obasanjo admin-istration.
In an interactive session with Senate correspondents yesterday in Abuja, the NLC president said the amendment Bill which provides for the proscription and brea-king up of the NLC, runs foul of Convention 87 of the ILO.
Similarly, Comrade Oshiomhole said the process adopted by the federal gover-nment also flouts the laws of the ILO as contained in the organisation’s convention 144, which stipulates the manner and procedure to be followed before labour laws can be reviewed or amended.
Convention 87 of the ILO adopted in 1948 and ratified by Nigeria, he said, stipulates in Article 2 that “workers’ and employers’, without distinction, shall have the right to establish and, subject only to the rules of the organisation concerned, to join organi-sations of their own choosing without previous authorisation.”
Article 4 of the same convention, the NLC president added, says “workers and employers’ organisations shall not be liable to be diss-olved or suspended by admi-nistrative authority.” In respect of the ILO Convention 144 of 1976, Oshiomhole said the regula-tion in Articles 1, 2 and 3 sets forth procedures for the review of labour laws thro-ugh a tripartite consultation between representatives of the government, employers and workers.
Therefore, according to NLC president, the National Assembly must exercise utmost caution to ensure its amendment of the nation’s trade union laws does not run counter to ILO’s conv-entions, to avoid a situation where Nigeria slides back to the dark days of military rule when the country was sanc-tioned by ILO for the dissolution of the NLC leadership.
He said the position of the ILO was made known Wednesday to Senators during the public hearing on the labour Bill by a repre-hensive of the international labour body.
“Under ILO Convention 144, only tripartite consu-ltations can decide which laws should be reviewed and why they should be reviewed. Such a body is in place financed by the US gove-rnment. The ILO represe-ntative advised the Senate to allow the process run its full course, since such a review cannot be rushed.
“ILO can sanction Nigeria because even the disso-lution of the NLC leadership during past military regimes had led to sanctions. Disban-ding the NLC means the ILO will descend on Nigeria and being a United Nations organ, this translate to incur-ring the wrath of the entire UN,” he stated.
Oshiomhole said government’s strongest argument for the amendment of the Trade Union Act, has been that the laws were promulgated by a military regime, but wondered if majority of the country’s laws including the 1999 constitution were not promulgated by military regimes and asked why govern-ment has not repealed or amended such laws.
Said he: “What is on trial really is democracy. Can you imagine democracy in Nig-eria.. I think Nigeria deserved an open space and all we have tried to do is to ensure it remains open. We have tried to enrich the process of policy-making.
“I am hopeful that Senate and the House of Represe-ntatives see beyond to-day’s tension and exigencies and as statesmen, think of the future and keep open Nigeria’s political space,” Oshiomhole pleaded.
Meanwhile, members of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) caucus in the House of Representatives on Wednesday night deliberated on President Olusegun Obas-anjo’s Trade Unions Act amendment Bill but could not come up with a common position.
Majority of the lawmakers were, however, not in favour of the Bill and vowed to vote against it when it co-mes up for a second reading on the floor of the House.
The caucus met in a marathon session that lasted late into the night in Abuja to try and foster a common front, but the legislators were divided with a number of them supporting the Bill, while many others kicked against it.
Competent sources at the meeting told Daily Trust, that both sides were allowed time to make their case, with each of them having one person to deliver an opening paper on their position.
It was learnt that prior to the meeting, the caucus had commissioned one person each from the contending sides to draft a detailed paper for or against the legislation.
A lawmaker from the northeast delivered the antag-onists’ position, while another from the northwest presented the protagonists’ stand during Wednesday’s meeting.
Daily Trust further learnt that the floor was then ope-ned for debate, and the caucus members took turns to speak on the Bill.
Our sources said that the subsequent debate was heated and lasted for sometime, but most of the lawm-akers were against the legislation.
Confirming the division in the caucus, Minority Whip in the House, Alhaji Usman Mohammed Balkore, said though majority of the members were against the Bill, it was not surprising that some were in its favour.
Balkore, who spoke to Daily Trust by telephone yesterday, said, however, that the caucus will come up with a common front next Tuesday.
“Opinions were divided, some of our members were in favour of the Bill and many others were equally against it. But that is normal. It is like what obtained in other caucuses.
“But let me assure you that we will come up with a position that will be in the best interest of the nation,” he said.
The Minority Whip also confirmed that two legis-lators had presented “well-researched” papers on the two contending opinions to the caucus, adding that most of the members wanted the Bill thrown out.
Balkore also disclosed that the caucus has decided to consult the party before taking an official stand. |
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