N70,000 allowance: Ex-labour leaders intervene in  NLC, TUC rift

Former leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have commenced a reconciliatory move aimed at resolving the recent face-off between the presidents of NLC and TUC.

It was learnt that past leaders of both labour centres had held a crucial meeting before calling on the two warring parties to sheath their sword while the reconciliation efforts continue.

Daily Trust reports that Joe Ajaero of NLC and his counterpart from the TUC, Festus Osifo had recently traded words over the recent approval of ₦70,000 transport allowance for workers.

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The allowance was approved by the Federal Government to cushion the effect of high transportation costs occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy.

The rift between the duo degenerated into personal attacks on national televisions, a situation that has affected unity within the labour sector.

Confirming the reconciliatory meeting on Wednesday, former President of NLC, Ayuba Wabba, disclosed that the labour veterans had been able to arrest any form of hostility between the two leaders.

Wabba revealed this in Abuja while speaking during the 52nd session of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN).

The former NLC President told newsmen that veterans from the two labour centres had met to resolve what he described as a family misunderstanding between the two centres.

Wabba, who was also the former President of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), said the veterans emphasised that workers’ organisations must remain united because they share a single objective and aim.

According to him, all hostilities had been ordered to stop, explaining that the goal is to prevent future occurrences through formal dialogue.

He said, “It’s a family misunderstanding between the two centres, and we have made it clear that workers’ organisations are supposed to be one because the objective is one and the aim is one.

“So, that seeming misunderstanding has escalated, and we have said all hostilities should stop. We will actually try to meet with them to see what happened and how future occurrences can also be prevented.

“So, basically, I can tell you for sure that veterans from both sides—TUC and NLC—namely Peter Esele, Bobboi Kaigama, Hassan Sunmonu, Abdulwaheed Omar, and my humble self, actually met and tried to look at the issue.

“We said we would meet formally when all of them are available because we just communicated among ourselves, the veterans, and we communicated with them, and they mutually accepted.

“The TUC General Secretary was here; I was here; the NLC President was here. All of us embraced ourselves and said,

“‘Well, it’s a family issue.’ Therefore, we have also said members of the press should not actually try to advance issues that are not there because, even in your immediate family, you can have some internal issues.

“But that internal issue is certainly meant to be resolved, and we are working towards that very effectively because that is the hallmark of trade unionism: to resolve issues, even with our employers, through dialogue and social dialogue.

“So, basically, it is an issue we have practised, and therefore we will try to now put it into action.”

The former NLC President said some of the protagonists in the matter had travelled, adding that once they returned, “we will be able to have that platform to address the issue.”

“But for the meantime, we said we don’t see the necessity of further talking to the press because that, in itself, does not bring any solution.”

Speaking earlier, the NLC President, Ajaero, said the agreed ₦70,000 transport intervention had been secured for workers and that when discussions for a new minimum wage begin, the money would form part of what would be added.