The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has asked the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to stop taking unilateral decisions on issues of interest to both organizations.
A leaked letter to NLC by TUC disclosed that the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria felt undermined that NLC declared a 2-day national protest without consulting with her after jointly issuing a 14-day ultimatum on the same matter
The letter in part read, “We convey compliments from the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), particularly the President of Congress, Comrade (Engr) Festus Osifo, and write to convey our displeasure on the above subject matter.
“We are writing to address a matter of mutual concern and our disappointment regarding the recent unilateral issuance of two days’ national protest with specified dates.
“You will recall that both centres issued a joint statement with a 14-day ultimatum to the federal government.
This ultimatum will expire on Thursday, February 22nd, and the right thing to do was for both leaders to review the situation and agree on the way forward prior to convening our respective NEC meetings.
“Our respective NEC is made up of highly intelligent individuals who are desirous that we both work together always in our collective interest. Even if we didn’t anticipate our NEC decision meetings, it is our responsibility as leaders to harmonies our positions before jointly going to the press.
“It was our understanding that decisions of such magnitude would be made collectively, ensuring that the interests and perspectives of all parties involved are duly considered.
“This is the way other leaders of both centres have worked together from the time of SECSCAN to when TUC was formally registered.
“It is important to stress that this is the third time such a unilateral declaration has happened under your leadership; we are therefore constrained to formally put this on record as various discussions, communications, and interventions have failed. A first and second time could pass as human error, but a third time would, in our opinion, translate to an intentional act to undermine us.
“Again, recall that we requested that both congresses jointly develop an MOU that will clearly guide and define our collaboration on issues of mutual interest to avoid situations like this, which have not seen the light of day.
“Comrade President, also note that we are not averse to the issuance of your resolution because our members equally feel the pain, even if it’s a weeklong national strike, but we have a huge problem with the unilateral declaration for a process we both muted and agreed to. Because our members are equally concerned about the rising cost of living and not particularly the ultimatum, why can’t we see through the ultimatum that expires within the same period before jointly addressing other issues of mutual concern or, at worst, consolidating them?
“At best, when the NLC conveys its NEC meeting on a subject of mutual concern, courtesy demands that we ought to have been informed so we can synergize on the way forward and not jump the gun.
“We cannot be seen to undermine the process of synergy and collaboration between both centres that predates the current leadership of both congresses.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we fully understand that NLC is an independent labour centre that has the right to make independent decisions. It is pertinent that when such decisions are taken unilaterally, there is a need to go ahead and implement them unilaterally.
“We wish to postulate that both centres have demonstrated severally that we both have the capacity to go solo, but my comrade President, you will agree with the slogan we couched for this unity that “we are always stronger together,” and that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
“We want you to always remember that we have teeming members that we lead and are answerable to, and when such an abnormality happens, the leadership has the right to defend the sanctity of its congress.
“Recall that this same issue of unilateral decision was what made us stay away from the two-day warning strike that you staged in September last year.
