Alleged hostile policies: NLC, TUC fight over CAC picketing
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) affiliate unions staged a protest at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
The demonstration which began early in the morning at CAC headquarters was planned to prevent workers from gaining entry into the building.
According to the NLC, the demonstration was held over hostile policies against workers of the commission.
It was learnt that the protest, led by the President of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Waba, alongside other executives and members of the union, was staged against the decision of the CAC leadership to clamp down on union members who challenged anti-workers policies.
However, the TUC was not on the same page with the NLC over the protest, which led to a clash between members of both unions.
While reacting at the protest ground, Waba alleged that the Commission’s Registrar General, Garba Abubakar, hindered staff promotion and brought in environmental experts to fumigate the agency for N35 million in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, including contracting someone to paint the Zone 5 annex office for N25 million.
TUC had on Tuesday held a news conference, warning that they would resist protest by the NLC, but the latter stated that it would not renege on its plans to demonstrate against CAC for three days.
However, the affiliate unions of both Commission are the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), an affiliate of TUC and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), an affiliate of NLC.
The NLC said it would lead all its affiliate unions to join AUPCTRE to picket CAC headquarters for 3 days, starting from Wednesday, over alleged “anti-union” stance of the management; SSASCGOC maintained that such action is a call to anarchy and it would not fold its arms while the NLC progresses against the rule of law.
SSASCGOC said the NLC in its efforts to reverse the position of the law which has been interpreted by the National Industrial Court has once again deplored the instrumentality of academic exercise and threats, in fruitless attempt to set aside the judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction through the back door.
Crisis started when AUPCTRE, which represents the junior workers through its Branch Chairman, Comrade Ibrahim Makarfi accused the Registrar-General of the commission, Alhaji Garba Abubakar, of denying his staff promotion.
But SSASCGOC in a letter addressed to the minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, said AUPCTRE has no locus stand under the law as pronounced by the NLC judgment, to speak for any senior staff be it in CAC or any Statutory Corporation until the judgment of NLC is reversed through the court of appeal or supreme court.
The letter which was signed by SSASCGOC General Secretary, Ayo Olorunfemi said NLC and AUPCTRE can only speak on behalf of junior staff of CAC which they represent according to the Trade Union Act and NIC judgments.
He urged the Minister to call a meeting of the NLC/AUPCTRE, TUC/SSASGOC, Registrar General CAC, EFCC, DSS ICPC and Federal Ministry of Labour with a view to unmask the problem.
He explained that SSASCGOC that controls all the senior staff of the Nigeria port Authority and many other Statutory Corporations in Nigeria has never issued threat of strike or picketing because “we advance our courses through scientific and civilized approaches to social dialogue.”
He said the letter by the NLC is an open invitation to anarchy which must be checked.
