A group of retired workers under the aegis of Lagos Assembly of Labour Veterans and Trade Unionists have demanded the resignation of the National Chairman of the Labour Party, LP, Mr Julius Abure; and President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Mr Joe Ajaero, over their continual leadership struggle.
Veteran Labour Leader, Mr Isah Tijjani, on behalf of the ex-workers, lamented Ajaero and Abure’s failure to challenge the Federal Government’s sudden withdrawal of petroleum subsidy, devaluation of Naira and increase in electricity tariff, saying they have failed in their duties despite the fact that Nigerian workers were suffering.
Addressing newsmen in Lagos, Tijjani, a former Vice President of NLC, faulted what he called needless wasting of time and resources for personal reasons.
His words: “For many of you that have been keenly following the unfolding crisis rocking the Labour Party at the apex of its leadership structure, the idea of holding this press briefing will surely come to you, as a foregone conclusion. It is even more so, against the painful background that at the core of this profound crisis, is the endless tussle for the control of the party going on between the party’s embattled chairman, Julius Abure, and the president of the NLC, Joe Ajaero.
“The discomforting aspects of this unfortunate situation, is the resultant callous and complete abandonment of the constitutional duties and core responsibilities duly bestowed upon these leaders, namely; to strongly promote and protect the rights and freedoms of their toiling members, against any forms of unlawful encroachment by some individuals, government or the organised private sector.
“On the contrary, Nigerian workers have been everywhere abandoned to their fate, consigned to face a gloomy future, totally devoid of delightful hopes and cheering promises. As the prospect to thus escape from the grip of multi-dimensional poverty dims for the masses of our people, the space to impose more burdens on the working class continues to be fully occupied by harsher economic policies.
“With the leadership of both the Labour Party and the apex NLC now focusing their full attention on petty squabbles, these rifts were optimally exploited by the governments at all levels, to introduce unpalatable economic measures aimed at keeping the workers and their poor families in a permanent state of abominable penury and social deprivation.
“We hardly need to scratch our heads in search of concrete evidence to affirm this, as the real life experience under which workers live in the last few months bears bountiful testimonials in this connection.
“From the FG’s sudden and abrupt withdrawal of petroleum subsidy, to the drastic devaluation of the national currency and the newly announced insensitive hikes in the costs of electricity tariff, the abysmal failure of the leaders of the Labour Unions and the Labour Party to provide credible challenge to these anti-people policies are indeed sufficient basis, for Nigerian workers to demand their resignation, without any further delay.
“When you devote adequate time to examine the perfunctory manner with which the Ajaero’s NLC, is handling the ongoing Award and the Minimum Wage negotiations, it would be crystal clear to you, that not much should be expected to come out from these razzmataz labour haggles. It is a sad commentary that many years after the adoption of the current N30, 000. 00 Minimum Wage, more than ten (10) state governors, fully aware of the endemic weakness of the union’s officials, have against all entreaties refused to pay the agreed amount.
“So, on both sides of the Labour front, the reality of the situation is that workers have been made to suffer a crushing defeat, from which they will continue to leak their open wounds and also find it extremely difficult to quickly heal.
“On top of this disconcerting labour leadership ineptitude, our Assembly of Labour Veterans and Trade Unionists, is pained to admit that, what is going on in the Labour Party under the watch of power drunk Barrister Julius Abure, is a rape on democracy.”
