Emma Okonji
The Deputy President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kabir Ado Minjibir, has clarified the relationship between the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
He insisted that the relationship was cordial and that there was no division between the two labour centres.
The clarification came on the heels of the withdrawal of TUC from Tuesday’s national protest organised by the NLC, without the participation of the TUC.
Minjibir, who gave the clarification yesterday on ARISE NEWS Channels, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, said both the TUC and NLC were independent organisations with different organs and structure, which enable them to operate differently.
However, he pointed out that both labour centres could still agree on a common goal, if there was a joint National Executive Council meeting of both bodies.
Giving reasons why only the NLC was involved in Tuesday’s national protest, without the participation of TUC, Minjibir said the NLC, as an independent body, called its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting where it resolved to embark on a two-day national protest. He, however, said leaders of TUC thought otherwise and decided to stay out of the protest.
“The NLC and TUC are both labour bodies with the same goals and mission, working together as a team. I am assuring Nigerians that both bodies will organise themselves better, going forward. The protest that NLC embarked upon was in the interest of all Nigerians in order to address the hunger situation in the country.
“There is no division between the TUC and the NLC and we will definitely work together for the common good of Nigerians,” Minjibir said.
Asked if the NLC carried along the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Minjibir said it was a national protest against hunger in the land and not an industrial action that should warrant the involvement of NANS.
He, however, said some civil societies with like minds joined the national protest in Abuja, and other cities across Nigeria.
He further explained that the non-participation of TUC in the protest was more of internal issues, which he said, would be resolved very soon.
“TUC and NLC are not working at cross purposes. We will definitely harmonise our differences and forge ahead as two bodies with the same goals and mission, and NLC will not be deterred by the non-participation of TUC in this particular protest that is ongoing, even though NLC has suspended it for two weeks to re-strategise and to give government some time for implementation of our demands.
“Although national streets protests have been suspended for two weeks, but NLC meetings at the state and national secretariats will be going on across the country during the two weeks period, because we are not resting on our oasis until the hunger in the land is properly addressed by government,” Minjibir further said.
