Labour Marks Centenary

The Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress
(NLC) in  conjunction with its Andoni
Local Government Council branch, has marked the celebration of 100 years of the
organised labour movement in Nigeria.

Speaking at the celebration which took place at Ngo in
Andoni Local Government Area, Comrade Chief Okwa P.G. Atu who represented the
state NLC chairman, Comrade Chris Oruge said that the NLC organised the event
to demonstrate the commitment of the labour leaders to the struggles for better
wages and improved working conditions of the workers despite the vicissitude of
the prevailing economic clime for the workers.

He extolled the struggles of the past labour leaders in
Nigeria and the resistance of the affiliate unions of the NLC to oppressive
policies and governments.

The labour leader said the struggles of the organised labour
movement actually started from August 19, 1912 to August 19, 2012, hence the
celebration to mark 100 years of labour struggle in Nigeria by the NLC.

Comrade Atu said the organised labour movement has passed
through various phases in Nigeria since December 19, 1975 when the federal
military government merged the various industrial unions to establish the
central labour organisation – the NLC.

He said government’s continued interference in the
activities of the organised labour has not helped the development of Trade
Unions, stressing that this has led to the enactment of several anti-labour
laws against the activities of the organised labour movement.

Comrade Atu said NLC has always rejected the intention of
government to limit the activities of Trade Unions especially through the Trade
Unions Amendment Law of 1996 and 2005.

The labour boss said the government intention of breaking
the unity of the workers was never achieved with the registration of the Trade
Union Congress (TUC) in 2005 as the workers remained more united and committed
to the struggles, stressing that the NLC in 2007 recorded more affiliated Trade
Union members during the delegate conference.