NLC election: S’East, S’South workers protest alleged harassment

The Coalition of the South-East/South-South Industrial Unions on Thursday staged a protest in Enugu over the alleged “intimidation, victimisation, harassment and disenfranchisement” of delegates from the two zones during the inconclusive Nigerian Labour Congress election.

They specifically accused the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria and the Nigeria Civil Service Union of the alleged unfair practices.

The protesters, numbering about a hundred, marched through the major streets of Enugu metropolis with placards, chanting solidarity songs.

Some of the placards read, “There is no tribalism in labour union,” “We oppose disenfranchisement of South-East delegates in the NLC election,” and “We oppose rigging in the NLC election.”

In a statement made available to journalists containing the position of the coalition, the group called on the NLC to ensure that there was no intimidation in the rescheduled election.

They equally asked the NLC to ensure that all those that were disenfranchised restored to the delegates list and to also allow workers to vote according to their conscience.

The coalition warned that “any attempt to repeat the ugly incidence of what happened during the inconclusive election will result in total boycott of the election by all the delegates from South-East and South-South zones.”

Addressing journalists in the course of the protest, the Chairman of the coalition, E. O. Osagie, stressed that the NLC constitution must be implemented to the letter.

He said, “Today, Thursday, is another great day in the history of trade union movement when the South-East and South-South labour leaders and workers are strongly demanding that the provisions of our great union’s constitution and regulations should be implemented.

“Our agitation and position are drawn from the provisions of our union’s constitution and regulations as amended in 2007.”

Osagie wondered whether the constitution was not binding on some members of the national leadership of the NLC.