NLC can negotiate alone, Ajaero replies TUC president

Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has asserted that his union possesses the authority to negotiate independently on labour matters, in direct response to the Trade Union Congress (TUC) president, Festus Osifo. Ajaero contended that the TUC could engage in negotiations alongside the NLC, but could not do so independently. This stance was rooted in the principle upheld by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) that most workers' representatives must collaborate.

During a recent appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Ajaero emphasized that the NLC had the right to send its negotiation proposals to the ILO for consideration, citing that the TUC had previously done so before withdrawing their submission. Osifo's claim that the TUC represented a significant number of workers in the federal civil service was disputed by Ajaero, who referenced the Trade Union Amendment Act 2005 and the 1999 Nigerian Constitution.

Ajaero argued that the right to join or leave trade unions was a fundamental worker's right, stipulated in Section 40 of the Constitution.

Furthermore, Ajaero contended that the TUC's claim about its representation in the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council was misleading, noting that only one of the eight union bodies in the council belonged to the TUC, with the remaining seven affiliated with the NLC. He also explained that the N70,000 transport allowance agreement reached between the NLC and the Federal Government was the result of the latter's request for an ultimatum and subsequent meetings.

Ajaero reiterated that wage demands could not be made without the establishment of a negotiation committee by the government, involving labour leaders, officials, and employers.