Posted by By Chris Nwachuku on
The Federal Government yesterday formally stripped Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) of its legal status as the sole central labour organisation with the registration of Trade Union Congress (TUC) as the second trade union federation.
The Federal Government yesterday formally stripped Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) of its legal status as the sole central labour organisation with the registration of Trade Union Congress (TUC) as the second trade union federation.
The registration of TUC which is being interpreted by observers as part of the moves by the state to whittle down the influence of NLC was formalised with the presentation of the letter of registration to the body by the Trade Union Registrar, Mr. Idowu Fagbemi.
At a brief ceremony at the old Federal Secretariat in Lagos, Fagbemi said the actual certificate of registration would be presented to the body in three weeks time in Abuja.
He said government could not register the TUC before now because the earlier Labour Act or decree made provision for only one central body.
Fagbemi charged TUC to use its registration to fight for the welfare of its members in particular and the society at large.
In his response, TUC President General, Peace Obiajulu, described the event as historical and added that with the registration, TUC would become more alive to its responsibility. "TUC will continue to promote and safeguard the economic and social welfare of its members by preserving and extending their civil rights within a free and democratic society," she said.
Obiajulu said that TUC presently has 16 senior staff associations affiliated to it with membership strength of two million and with state councils in 30 out of the 36 states. She said with the registration of the TUC by the Federal Government the challenges before its members had become enormous and assured them to live up to expectations.
She commended the Labour and Productivity Minister, the National Assembly and President Olusegun Obasanjo for the passing and signing into law of the Labour Reform Act which allowed multiple labour organisations in the country.
The process of stripping NLC of its monopoly commenced after the 2003 fuel price strike in which Obasanjo accused labour of behaving as if it was a parallel government. He consequently sent a trade union bill to the National Assembly demanding for, among others, the proscription of NLC as a trade union center.
The bill generated widespread criticism from local and the international community.
However, the National Assembly after series of public hearing watered down the original bill and passed the bill that liberalised the labour sector.
The process for registration also witnessed some drama when the Federal Government ignored certain criteria stipulated by the Labour Act while registering TUC.