Union Bank ASSIBIFI’s Crisis Threatens NLC, TUC

The on-going disagreement between the Nigeria  Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Association of  Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial  Institutions (ASSIBIFI) is gradually pulling the two labour bodies towards a collision course.

The situation follows an earlier resolve by both bodies to stick to what they believe is their right, and the crisis  in ASSIBIFI seems to have become the platform.

It will be recalled  that the management of  Union Bank had refused to recognize its own chapter of ASSIBIFI as a union and an affiliate of the NLC, with the NLC resisting this stand.

TUC, on the other hand supported the Bank’s management decision, saying that ASSIBIFI is its affiliate, a position the minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu also supported.

After a meeting called at the instance of the minister of over the disagreement, in which he made his disposition known, the NLC chairman, Comrade Abdulwahed Omar, expressed his displeasure.

“We are most un-happy about the disposition, comments and conduct of the minister during the said meeting  that was supposed to be an arbitration meeting.

“The minister clearly showed that he had a vested interest, and we, therefore, do not believe that the minister will be able  to deliver  justice in the matter”, he said.

The NLC boss, thus stated that they will not honour any call by the minister on this matter, given his disposition.

Meanwhile, Omar noted that the issue of disagreement between it and the TUC in the Union Bank issue is pending at the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP).

“It is there in the count and no judgment has been delivered. Nobody can say why TUC is claiming that ASSIBIFI belongs to it.

“Well, we are also saying that ASSIBIFI belongs to NLC because you all know what happened in 2002”, he said.

Omar recalled that in 2007, the Congress of free Trade Union (CFTU) vehemently as a group dissolved itself and joined the NLC, and ASSIBIFI was one of the seven unions in CFTU”.

While declaiming the NLC’s stand as “illegal”, the secretary general of TUC, Comrade John Kolawole … illegality can never be hosted on legality, no matter how hard the situation is, especially when  it concerns industrial relations whose laws are explicitly written down and well interpreted under the various Acts, constitutions and legislations.

“This is where we stand and we also have history to back it up”.