NLC, TUC kick against bill to prevent strikes

The Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress have described the bill seeking to introduce balloting before they can embark on any industrial action as a worthless effort and an unfortunate attempt to mislead the National Assembly.
The bill, which was sponsored by Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, was slated for second reading on Tuesday, but had to be suspended following sharp disagreements among senators.

The President, NLC, Mr. Abdulwahed Omar, and his TUC counterpart, Mr. Peter Esele, said in separate telephone interviews with Newsmen that the proposed bill would not add any value to labour relations in the country. Omar said Lokpobiri’s bill was an attempt to interfere in the internal democracy of the labour unions in the country.

He warned that the proposed bill had the implication of elongating strikes in the country, as it would be expected that if votes were taken for strikes to commence, the same process would be followed for such strikes to be called off.

Esele, who described the bill as unfortunate, said that it was a product of the senator’s lack of knowledge about the workings of labour unions in the country.

He explained that it was the standard practice in the country for votes to be taken during the meeting of the National Executive Committee of the labour centres before decisions to go on strike will be taken.