·As NLC President prepares to honour Police invitation Thursday
As the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero, prepares to honour Police invitation on Thursday over alleged criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime, IndustriALL Global Union, IGU, and Nigerien Labour Union yesterday decried the worsening rights abuse in Nigeria.
IGU and the Union des Syndicates des Travailleurs du Niger, USTN, the umbrella body of workers in Niger Republic, in separate statements, called on the federal government to end all forms of harassment, intimidation and persecution of labour movement and their leaders in Nigeria.
The Geneva, Switzerland-based IGU, in a petition by its General Secretary, Atle Høie, to the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Intelligence Response Team, IRT, Department of Force Intelligence, DFI, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, lamented what it described as "unfounded charges of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime.
"This resorting to spurious charges that come with heavy prison sentences is meant to intimidate and silence the labour movement."
The petition was copied affiliates in Nigeria, including the Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Senior Staff Association, CANMPSSAN; Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG; National Union of Textile, Garment & Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN; Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN; and National Union of Chemical Footwear Rubber Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees, NUCFRLANMPE.
Others are Steel and Engineering Workers Union of Nigeria, SEWUN; National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE; and Automobile, Boatyards, Transport, Equipment & Allied Senior Staff Association, AUTOBATE.
Also copied were IndustriALL Vice President, Rose Omamo; Sub Saharan Africa Regional Co-chairman, Susan Khumalo; and Sub Saharan Africa Regional Co-chairman, John Adaji,
The petition read: "Dear Mr Adamu S. Mu'azu, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Nigeria.
I am writing this letter to you as the General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union, which has 550 affiliates in 130 countries, including Nigeria, representing over 50 million workers in the mining, energy, and manufacturing sectors.
"It is to call on the federal government of Nigeria and police to respect fundamental trade union rights to freedom of association and not to resort to intimidation and violence to resolve the cost-of-living crisis.
"It is appalling to learn that the Nigerian police want to interview Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, which is affiliated to IndustriALL on unfounded charges of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime.
"This resorting to spurious charges that come with heavy prison sentences is meant to intimidate and silence the labour movement.
"Having closely followed the workers' mass actions in Nigeria this year, I cannot see that Comrade Ajaero has committed any crime but simply carried out his duties as a trade union leader. These duties are protected by international labour standards, the national constitution and labour laws.
"As part of the NLC collective, he has been campaigning for pro-worker economic policies and better working conditions for Nigerian workers that include living wages, affordable transport and social security for vulnerable communities.
"Importantly, his approach has been to promote social dialogue with the federal government of Nigeria to reverse the increasing cost of living which is impoverishing millions of workers.
"Instead, with the occupation of Labour House by armed police and the confiscation of union documents, it seems the government has no interest in addressing the workers' grievances but unfortunately seeks to further the conflict through intimidation and violence.
"However, I believe there is still an opportunity to resolve the impasse amicably through social dialogue."
Nigerien Labour Union
Similarly, the Secretary General of the Union des Syndicates des Travailleurs du Niger, USTN, the umbrella body of workers in Niger Republic, Alain Adikan, in a solidarity letter to the NLC President, said: "Indeed, the threat by the Nigerian police to arrest Comrade Ajaero, his accusation and interrogation on the fallacious pretext of 'criminal conspiracy, financing terrorism, treason, subversion and cybercrime is worrisome.'
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"This retrograde and tyrannical practice does not honour the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which has always been considered a model of democracy, respect for trade union rights and human rights.
"USTN condemns this persecution as an abuse of state power against trade union leaders who freely exercise their fundamental rights. USTN calls on the government of Nigeria to take all necessary measures to put an end to any violation of human and trade union rights.
"We offer our moral support to Comrade Joe Ajaero and his comrades in this difficult ordeal and urge them to take greater determination and perseverance in their struggle to defend the material and moral interests of their comrades."
