Executive Chairman of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Rivers State chapter, Dr Joseph Obele, the has described the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress as a toothless bulldog that barks without biting.
Obele, while responding to the Labour threat to resist fuel price increment said Labour leaders should hide their faces in shame.
He said Government will dare them by increasing the present pump price of fuel above #220 in a short time and labour leaders will not do anything about it as usual.
He added that Nigerians don’t take labour leaders serious anymore.
“What we have is a political labour leadership with membership cards of the two biggest political parties in Nigeria.
“Nigerians have lost confidence in the present leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress.
“I recommend that a special Kindergarten Montessori should grant admission to Labour present leadership for them to learn the objectives of Labour union.
“A labour union is a formal form of association of workers that promotes the harmonious relationship between employer and employees.
“The primary objective of labour unions is to promote and protect the interests of its members.
“Besides, a labour union has also to accomplish certain social and economic responsibilities which are targeted at bringing a better life to her citizens at large.
“It must be remembered that a national labour or trade union besides fighting for the rights of workers must also see to it that they are discharging their oversight responsibilities
“Agitating the living standards of workers is a critical objective of labour, but the contrary is the case at the moment.
“In a nutshell, the trade unions or labour unions serve the aims of both workers and management, it is crystal clear that our labour leaders if we really have one are serving the interest of only one among the two mentioned above”.
Obele said that the National labour leaders are supposed to be a watchdog to the Federal executive council and a voice of the citizens against marginalization, poor economic policies that are perceived to bring hardship upon the people, oppression or welfare of workers, etc
He, however, said that under the watch of the present leadership of Labour, several unfavourable tragedies has been meted on Nigerians, while the voiceless labour leadership stay at the comfort of their offices to drink tea with a cracker biscuit.
He listed the tragedies to include Price of PMS (fuel) moving from #97 to #163, and soon to be increased above #200 as proposed;
1. Incessant increment to the power utility bill.
2. Negative unemployment index.
3. Non-implementation of national minimum wage.
4. Refusal to pay retirees both at the federal and state level.
5. Aggressive rise in the price of commodities, otherwise called inflation which is presently put at 17.4%.
6. Helpless protest by Nigerian Youths aka #Endsars.
7. Refusal of the federal government to fix the four Nigerian own refineries.
8. Rapid retrenchment and sack of workers nationwide.
9. The worsen insecurity in the nation.
Obele said that the non-challant attitude the present labour leaders further justified while most youths went to the social media to give a better acronym to the three NLC: National looters Congress.
He also listed the achievements of previous Leaderships of Labour which the present leadership should emulate to include;
1. Precious leadership of Labour were able to reverse the privatization of Nigeria refineries.
2. Labour leadership championed the transition from a military regime to the democratic era we enjoy today.
3. They succeeded in balancing the national minimum wage.
4. Federal government before now can not dare labour leadership to increase PMS (fuel) price arbitrary.
5. Pensioners were the priority of previous Leaderships of Labour.
6. Campaign against casualization ended at the inception of the present leadership of Labour.
7. The present degree of insecurity and economic recession could call for the attention of previous labour leadership.
