We don’t have to work with TUC, says Ajaero

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero says it is not compulsory for the union to work with the Trade Union Congress  in its struggle for workers’ welfare.

Ajaero who was chatting with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, said it decided to do the two-day national protest so that NLC members could “breathe”.

He said: “The NLC has been a labour centre from 1977/’78. We are not contesting with anybody on power, rivalry, or even occupying the industrial space. Whatever we do is independent, and each time we talk, we say the NLC’s NEC. That is our organ.

” When they (NEC) directed us on what to do, as NAC (National Administrative Council), we obeyed. We will not come up with our own agenda.

“If we want to hold a meeting with the government or any of the labour affiliates, it will be based on the direction given to us by our highest decision-making body, which is the highest before the National Delegates’ Conference; that comes up every four years. So, we rely on it.”

“If the NEC decides that we take an action, we will take the action. We can look for those who have the same feeling to take the action jointly, but the NEC cannot mandate us to look for people who will help us in this instance.

“There are about 54 affiliates of the NLC. Everyone of them acts independently. If you check, NUPENG – an affiliate of the NLC – when they want to take action, they act independently. The NLC can never question NUPENG when they do so; the same thing with the NUT and NUEE. That independence is respected, even when you are under a centre. But I am not sure the NLC is under any centre; the NLC is not under any centre.

“We may decide to collaborate with anybody, any organisation, NGOs, human rights organisations, but we don’t owe them any explanation on the action we decide to take. Those organisations can still take their actions and we will not query them.

“In signing all those agreements, I sign for the NLC; people from the government sign. It is a joint agreement where everybody signs for their organisations. But that doesn’t make you perpetually bound by the Minister of Labour or anybody else because they signed the same agreement with you. Never!

“We signed on behalf of our organisations and we take decisions when we discover that such an agreement has been violated. I speak for the NLC.

“We can collaborate to take decisions, take actions but instead of us to work together and die in suffocation, we will work separately and still exist independently. It is good for people to get it clear that instead of us to work together and suffocate and punish our members, we prefer to work alone so that our members can breathe.”