Abuja And Richard Amayo in Benin-City — For the first the time since the emergence of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the union and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday said members of both trade unions are to hold joint May Day rallies across the country to observe the worker's day celebrations.

The two parallel labour unions had previously carried on their activities separately and has had to defer on in many ocassions on issues relating to government's social policy.

This is happening as Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) in Edo State yesterday accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Police, Army and other security agencies of allegedly playing ignoble roles in the April 14 governorship and state Assemble elections in the state in which the immediate past President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole lost controversially to the PDP candidate, Prof. Osareihmen Osunbor.

In a press statement yesterday, the secretary general of LASCO, Mr. Tony Erha called on the people of Edo to come out enmasse to join workers in celebrating May Day at the Ogbemudia stadium, Benin City. He said the people will not fold amidst speculations that opposition political parties may capitalize on this year's worker's day celebration to mobilize workers to protest against the just ended general elections in the country.

Meanwhile, it was gathered that the decision of the NLC and the TUC to hold the joint rally today is aimed at forging closer collaboration between them in the fight for workers welfare.

Sources close to the two umbrella labour groups said they have asked their members in all the locations across the country to troupe out to the rally venues to participate in the rally and to show solidarity for the new found love.

The source gave no indication of any plan to engage the workers in any mass action being planned by the coalition of opposition parties challenging the credibility of the last April polls.

As at the time of filing this report last night, the NLC headquarters in Abuja was still active as the President, Abdulwaheed Ibrahim Omar was still held-up in a meeting with the top echelons of the union on what form today's rally would take.

Security in and around the Eagles Square venue of the May Day rally has been beefed up with the Police issuing a stern warning that no other gathering outside the celebration at Eagles Square would be allowed to hold today.

And still in Edo, the LASCO scribe reiterated the coalition's determination to "make life unbearable for those riggers and hijackers of the people's will by resorting to civil and non-violent means.

Concluding, he tabled a 5-point demand under which there could be normalcy in the state as follows. They include the cancellation of the April 14 and 21 election results and the conduct of fresh ones under a new INEC.

"We are calling for the establishment of a transitional government with the Chief Justice of the Federation as head which within three months starting from may 29, shall conduct a free and fair election for all Nigerians", LASCO further demanded.