NLC Reno Omokri, a former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan has hinted that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) may need to emulate its counterparts in the United Kingdom before embarking on industrial action.
Omokri was reacting to the dissenting decisions taken by the fractionalized Nigeria Labour Congress regarding the partially ongoing industrial action in the country.
Following the 'necessary' removal of oil subsidy by the administration of President Bola Tinubu, the Eastern faction of Nigeria Labour Congress has decided to embark on industrial action while their counterparts in the Northern, and Southwestern parts of the country have decided to understand the necessity of removing the oil subsidy with the Federal Government.
To forestall a reoccurrence of such a shameful industrial action by the Nigeria Labour Congress, Reno Omokri said Nigeria Labour Congress may need to duplicate the procedure being used by their counterparts in the UK before embarking on industrial action.
He revealed that Union members in the UK would be allowed to vote for or against industrial action, whenever it is being considered as the last resort in the Kingdom. If the majority support industrial action, so be it, the strike continues otherwise other mechanisms are considered to settle their differences with their employers.
Omokri said the system would disallow some few leaders of the NLC who have shown sympathy for a particular political party during the presidential election to continue to play politics with the life of its members.
He said "In England, labour unions cannot go on strike unless they first hold a poll amongst their members and the majority vote in favour of industrial action. We need that in Nigeria so that a politically partisan Nigerian Labour Congress leadership that endorsed and campaigned for Peter Obi cannot dictate its will over Nigerian workers and hoodwink them into going on strike to support a partisan political idea, passed off as a patriotic nationalist policy.
Category: World-News
Tag: NLC UK labour union news
Written by Omooba Alekuwodo (omoobaalekuwodo)
Published 6/5/2023 11:41:08 AM