By Tope Musowo
Lagos
Resolved to wrestle the teeming Nigerian workers from the grip of assumed compromised trade union a total of 18 affiliates unions have teamed up to form United Labour Congress of Nigeria (ULC).
The ULC came to being at the inaugural delegates conference held in Lagos, which witnessed the disaffiliation of the bodies from the existing Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the motion for adoption of the ULC’s national constitution moved by Comrade Titus Olaniran, the General Secretary of Iron and Steel Union of Nigeria.
The conference chaired by Comrade Igwe Achese, the National President of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), had unionists who jointly ratified the decision.
According to Achese, “it is sad to know that workers at the local government level, the state and federal were being owed for several months and government go a borrowing to pay, but ask in October what the state government collected, then you ask where is Labour”.
Former general secretary, National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Comrade Joe Ajaero, also appraised the historical trends of Labour unions in the country.
“Before now you will see a bias between workers in the public and private sectors, but we are out to harmonise them with formidable front, we will be able to ask question about the budget and the foreign exchange policy of the government.
“The labour union has stayed inert for two years, we were being undermined, now with ULC Nigerian workers are at liberty to chose who serves them”, he said.