The Nigeria Labour Congress has vowed to mobilize their counterparts in over 163 countries to frustrate Nigerian political elite who embezzle the country’s resources and run to other countries.
The NLC has vowed to equally ensure that it gives more trouble to the political class who, after failing to fix the Nigeria’s health sector, run to other countries to access quality healthcare services.
NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, gave the indication when the officials of the Medical and Health Workers Union, led by its President, Josiah Biobelemoye, gave him a surprise reception at Nnamdia Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, when returning from Denmark, yesterday.
Wabba was elected president of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) for a term of four years at the just concluded meeting. He is the first African to be elected President of ITUC which is the largest trade union federation in the world and represents 207 million workers across the globe with 331 Labour Centres in 163 countries.
According to the NLC president, “Initially, we were struggling alone but now we have over 163 countries that we can give instruction and they will extend solidarity to Nigerian workers.
“It is also high time our politicians, looters and elites realize that once they loot our resources, we are going to liaise with the airport workers, once they are leaving the country to the next destination, they should be sure that we will mobilize people to turn them back.
“They must stay here and fix our economy and make Nigeria to work. Therefore, having 207 million workers under the banner of the ITUC and giving us the mandate to provide leadership for them, it means that it will be well for all Nigerian workers and those issues that have made us slaves in our own country must continue to receive appropriate attention.”
While insisting that the political elite should either fix the health sector or face more trouble in the years ahead, the NLC president said: “When they go outside this country without fixing our healthcare and they want to go and access quality healthcare, we will tell our counterparts out there also, if they go with headache, they will come back with hypertension because that is not what we expect.”
Wabba, who vowed that the NLC will fight government policy of “no work, no pay” to a standstill, noted that such policy has no place in modern industrial relations.
He, therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to, “actually give space and consultation. Let him not only hear from one side, from those his appointees, that in most cases have failed in their responsibilities.
“He should also hear the perspectives of the unions and the workers and he will realize that where the truth lies is where the workers stand.”
According to the NLC President: “Most of the people that have been given responsibility in this country, when they could not deliver on their responsibility, what they do is to feed the various strata of the country with lies.
“I say so because the issue of ‘no work, no pay’ has no place in modern day industrial relation. The law about no work, no pay, in Nigeria has its basis from a military decree. That is Decree 54 of 1977.
“No government in Nigeria has implemented that law because you cannot implement the law in isolation. Therefore, we are going to engage that process very vigorously.”
On his election as ITUC president he said: “it is victory for all of us, particularly, Nigerian workers. This also comes with challenge and calls for more action, it also calls for more proactive approach so that workers around the world, despite the dynamics of change in technology, can survive in all situation.”
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