National President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Kicks Against Moves To Remove Labour From Exclusive Legislative List

The National President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, has kicked against the moves to remove labour from the exclusive legislative and transfer it to the concurrent list in the constitution being reworked by the National Assembly.

Osifo said the proposed amendment to the constitution that would remove labour from the exclusive list is anti-worker, retrogressive, and a direct threat to the unity and strength of the Nigerian labour movement.

Speaking in Akure, the Ondo State capital, during the first quadrennial delegates conference of the TUC, Osifo, however, rejected the dangerous bill and said the Union would resist it with every lawful means at its disposal.

The TUC National President, represented by the Principal Assistant Secretary General of the Union, Anthony Ebaho, urged all the State Councils to be on red alert and prepared to act promptly upon receiving directives from the national headquarters.

He said, “We must defend the hard-worn rights of Nigerian workers without hesitation. I urge the Ondo State Council and all our state chapters not to hesitate in escalating unresolved industrial issues to the national Secretariat.

“Where local mechanisms fall short, we shall intervene as a united front, employing robust engagement and determined advocacy to deliver justice and protect the welfare of workers. I wish the newly elected leadership a successful and impactful tenure.”

During the conference, a new set of executives who would manage the affairs of the Union for the next four years in Ondo State were elected.

Bayo Phillip, the Ondo State Head of Service, who declared the conference open, urged the newly elected executives to build on the existing foundation with renewed energy and vision.

Phillip, who was represented by Sunday Omirin, assured the Union of the government’s unwavering support for all efforts that would uplift the workforce, promote productivity, and uphold justice in the workplace.

According to him, “the role of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the overall labour movement cannot be overstated. You remain a cornerstone of progressive engagement, a vital voice in negotiations, policymaking, and in safeguarding the rights of workers at all levels.“

The newly elected executives of the TUC Ondo State Council include Comrade Clement Fatuase as Chairman, for the second term, Yemi Aiyesoro, Vice Chairman, Musa Samuel, Secretary, Omologe Tony, Assistant Secretary, Bolarinwa Adewale, Treasurer, and Babakole Yusuf, Financial Secretary.

Others are; Nwibane Dum-Ale, Public Relations Officer; Kehinde Olatoye, Auditor; Okenile Mary, Chairperson Women Wing; Akinyemi Mary, Secretary Women Wing; and Balogun Tajudeen, Ex-Officio.

In his acceptance speech, the re-elected chairman of the TUC, Clement Fatuase, who pledged to move Ondo TUC to greater heights, said, “Let me affirm that leadership is temporary, but the struggle is eternal. Our names will be remembered not by the offices we occupied but by the legacies we leave behind.

“Let us remember that the unity of workers is the strength of labour. If we stand together, no challenge is insurmountable, and no force can weaken our resolve.

“One of our future plans includes: “sustaining the struggle for improved welfare and conditions of service for workers, consolidating on infrastructural development, and building a stronger Secretariat that will serve as a model across the country. And together, we have recorded remarkable achievements.”