Stop misleading the public, Ngige tells NLC president
Chris Ngige, the minister of labour and productivity, has admonished the Nigerian Labour Congress’ president Ayuba Wabba against misleading the public.
Ngige’s warning follows Wabba’s refusal to register two new labour unions – the Congress for Nigerian University Academics (CONUA) and the Nigeria Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) – as affiliates of the NLC.
TheCornet reports that Wabba faulted government’s decision to register the two unions, being breakaways of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
But, Ngige defended government’s action, saying that “Section 3 (2) of the Trade Dispute Act, CAP T14” gives him “the sole power to register new trade unions, either by registering new trade union or regrouping existing ones.”
In addition, Ngige cited the litigatiton between the Nigerian Union of Pensions (NUP) and its breakaway faction in Federal Parastatals & Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria (FEPPAN).
In the said case, Ngige said that the “Law on Regrouping of Trade Unions was extensively explored and ruled upon, unlike the cases cited by the President of the NLC to misinform the general public and unfortunately lead astray his affiliate Trade Union – ASUU.”
Ngige explained that ASUU ostracized and de-union CONUA and NAMDA members, which led them to seek unions of their own.
He said that the government does not need “pay homage to ASUU and acquiesce to leaving a large segment of lecturers and academia un-unionised, without protection, without a voice, and without a right at work.”
