The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed concerns over what it claims to be a federal government plan to reduce the tenure of labour union leaders to two years.
The NLC declared that it would not be intimidated by what it views as a coordinated campaign against its leadership and operations.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Comrade Benson Upah, NLC’s head of information and public affairs, addressed the issue, including last week’s raid on the NLC secretariat. He accused the government of gross interference in the internal affairs of unions and warned that the move to limit union leaders’ tenure is part of a broader strategy to weaken the labour movement.
Upah asserted that if the government insists on imposing a two-year tenure limit for union leaders, the same standard should be applied to all public offices, including the presidency.
He also condemned the government’s attempts to suppress the NLC’s voice, particularly regarding a recent threat from the Registrar of Trade Unions over the NLC’s relationship with the Labour Party. Upah argued that this action violated constitutional rights and international labour conventions.
The NLC further responded to police statements justifying the raid on their secretariat, dismissing the claims as contradictory and lacking credibility. The union challenged the police to provide evidence for their actions and expressed concern about the potential risks posed by the raid, vowing to hold the police accountable for any future incidents.
“Government is also frantically working to reduce to two the number of years trade unionists could hold office. This constitutes a gross interference in the internal running of the trade unions, in violation of labour laws and ILO conventions,” Upah stated.
He continued, “We advise the government to cease further acts of intimidation against the Nigeria Labour Congress and indeed against the generality of Nigerians. If the government believes two years is the best tenure, then it should be applied universally, including to the President of the country.” Upah also criticized the government’s interference in the affairs of the Labour Party, noting that its campaign to destabilize opposition parties has reached a critical point. He emphasized that the NLC’s actions are guided by the decisions of a competent court of jurisdiction.
