In a dramatic twist, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC have directed workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA to continue with the ongoing strike until the Minister, Nyesom Wike meets their demands.
Labour said it is happy that the Minister obtained an order of interlocutory injunction against the two individual union leaders and not against the striking trade unions, and so, the strike continues.
It urged the workers to defend their rights with courage and dignity and not with fear.
On Tuesday, the National Industrial Court ruled that the striking workers should resume work immediately.
This ruling was followed immediately by a statement from the FCTA for workers to resume work unfailingly on Wednesday, January 28, or be met with consequences.
The NLC and TUC in their statement jointly signed by their secretaries, Benson Upah and Nuhu Toro, respectively, said they find it necessary to issue a joint statement
of support in solidarity with FCTA workers who they said have been “shabbily treated” by Wike, and in their words
“rubber-stamped” by the National Industrial Court in what they described as “a one-sided
ruling” intended to break up the strike and make workers perpetual
slaves.
The two labour centres said “as patently skewed” as the ruling was, they had thought the Minister would
use the window to reach out to Organised Labour for an amicable
resolution of the issues, but he had “boastfully” resorted to threats
against workers.
NLC and TUC said the offenses committed against the FCTA workers are serious enough, to add intimidation, humiliation, insults and harassment to the
menu is something they cannot watch from the sidelines.
The Organised Labour argued that Workers cannot be made slaves in their country, stressing that it “stand for the rule
of law and its observance to the hilt, no matter the status of the parties
to the dispute”.
The labour movement used the statement to urge FCTA workers to maintain high morale in the face of what it calls “relentless threats”.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
