Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, has invoked International Labour Organisation (ILO) principles to defend the NLC’s authority to negotiate independently with the Federal Government, deepening its disagreement with the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
Ajaero maintained that while the TUC could participate in negotiations alongside the NLC, it could not independently negotiate with labour authorities under the arrangement he described.
He stated this on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, amid the dispute between the two labour centres over the Federal Government’s N70,000 transport allowance for public sector workers.
“TUC can negotiate along with NLC, but NLC can negotiate alone based on the principle of most workers' representatives of the ILO,” he said.
Ajaero claimed that the TUC was required to submit its proposals through the NLC when engaging with the International Labour Organisation.
He also argued that the composition of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council supported the NLC’s position, noting that seven of its eight affiliated unions belonged to the NLC, while only one was affiliated with the TUC.
However, the TUC President, Festus Osifo, had insisted that his organisation was an independent labour centre with the authority to negotiate directly with the government on behalf of its members.
Osifo also rejected the NLC’s claim to exclusive negotiating authority, arguing that the TUC represented a significant number of federal civil servants.
The disagreement followed the Federal Government’s announcement of a N70,000 monthly transport allowance for public sector workers for six months, after a meeting with the NLC.
While the NLC defended the agreement, the TUC rejected the arrangement and called for an increase in workers’ salaries instead.
Explaining how the allowance was secured, Ajaero said the NLC had issued an ultimatum to the Federal Government before both parties agreed to further discussions.
He said the government requested four days to meet with labour leaders, after which negotiations resumed and produced the allowance agreement.
The NLC president also cited the Trade Union Amendment Act 2005 and Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees workers the right to belong to trade unions of their choice.
Osifo, however, described Ajaero's position as damaging to the labour movement and accused him of lacking the necessary negotiation skills.
“Ajaero has never led any union in Nigeria, that is why he does not understand the principles of negotiation,” he said.
Osifo added that he was in the United Kingdom for advanced leadership and management training.
Discussion0