Locking up Congress secretariat is a dubious and illegal act- NLC tells Wike

The National Administrative Council of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), has frowned at Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, over the locking up of the secretariat of the Congress in Port Harcourt, describing it as being a dubious and untenable act. The NLC leadership urged the Governor to reopen the Secretariat and further conclude negotiations over the new minimum wage.

In a communiqué by the Union’s President Ayuba Wabba and General Secretary, Emma Ugboaja, and other Executives of the Union, the NLC said: “NAC expresses its outrage at the locking up of the secretariat of the Congress in Port Harcourt by the state government and other measures to muscle Labour. “It describes the reason adduced by the government (carrying out integrity test) as dubious and untenable as the building was constructed by the state government, commissioned only last year and given to the state council. “NAC says the real reason for shutting down the secretariat with staff inside was because of minor disagreements over the final document on the minimum wage, which was yet to be signed.”

The NLC leadership council, while describing the secretariat as a Greek gift, said the action of the state government was “undemocratic, uncalled for, illegal, reprehensible, abominable and a violation of Conventions 87 and 98 of ILO, and the constitutional rights of the workers and a breach of the workers personal right to freedom. “The NAC resolved that the government should reopen the secretariat without further delay as well as conclude negotiations with workers in good faith. The NAC resolved to advise the state government never again to employ these tactics as they could invite the wrath of the entire labour movement.”