A new national labour movement called United Labour Congress of Nigeria has been formed by 25 industrial unions from the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria on Saturday at Airport Hotel , Ikeja Lagos.
The ULC also elected 13 executives to drive its mandate in which the General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees, Joseph Ajaero, emerged as its National President.
In addition, Igwe Achese of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, became its Deputy President; K. Kadiri became its National Vice President while Onyeka Chris emerged as its acting General Secretary.
Members of the union pledged to restore hope to Nigerian workers who were being victimised, and neglected, adding that it would defend the rights of oppressed Nigerians in a bid to make governance more effective and responsive.
They observed that the existing labour unions had been compromised by forces that did not have its interest, that of Nigerians at heart, saying that there was need for a refining and strengthening of trade unionism.
They also pointed out that the trade union movement will offer a responsible, responsive and robust partnership between Nigerian workers and its social partners with an eye directed at innovative frameworks that would drive harmonious relations in their places of work.
It also informed that the labour movement would address the “new dangerous forms of employment contracts such as offshoring which has led to mass retrenchment in the Telecom industry and a haemorrhaging of employment and national resources”.
According to ULC, the emergence of the United Labour Congress of Nigeria (ULC) rather than weaken the labour movement, proposes the strengthening of the nation’s labour movement generating a new vigour that would re-awaken all the necessary elements that are needed to make Nigerian workers strong, present Labour as a creative partner that has strategic benefits for its publics especially the employers and the Government.
ULC further stated that the primarily purpose is to serve, protect and project the interests and expectations of workers all over the world and subsequently that of the billions of alienated masses.
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