The NURTW informs the NLC that this is not the time for strike threats

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, has been advised not to make any utterances that could inflame the nation by the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

Tajudeen Agbede, the newly elected NURTW leader, made this statement in response to a statement made by the NLC following the conclusion of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja.

The NLC had stated that it would “begin a 2-day nationwide warning strike on Tuesday, September 5, and Wednesday, September 6, 2023 to demonstrate our readiness for the indefinite strike later in the month and to also demand that state vacates the illegally occupied National Headquarters of the NURTW.”

Agbede expressed regret after reading the communiqué, saying that “from the contents of the communiqué, it clearly showed that Comrade Ajaero and his team have lost touch with present reality in the country today or are being blinded by political/ethnic considerations, as this is not the best time for any reasonable group or person to be nursing the idea of calling out workers on strike when the majority of our people are struggling to survive.”

“I want Comrade Ajaero to understand that the NLC’s obligations go beyond regularly threatening strikes. He should begin learning from his forerunners (Comrades Ayuba Wabba, Adams Oshiomhole, etc.) on how to manage a proper trade union organisation. With President Bola Tinubu’s current administration only three months old, Ajaero has already vowed to strike five times. Haba! People in the Southwest have begun to interpret NLC opinions on the Tinubu administration in terms of ethnicity and politics.

In regards to our union, NURTW, “we are deeply concerned and troubled by the recent interest the NLC has shown in the business of our union. If the NLC had given the situation the required attention an initio (at the outset), it would not have worsened to the level it has today.

It is known that angry union members and significant stakeholders complained in writing to the NLC about the brutality and tyranny of the Baruwa-led executive, but the NLC did not respond to or take any action. They didn’t even acknowledge our members.

“The crisis might have been stopped in its tracks if the NLC had responded/acted when the letters first came in,” says the report.

I would like to applaud the Nigerian Police personnel for their proactive approach to the Union matter. Since the start of the NURTW crisis, the Police have acted and spoken in a very professional manner.

And we would like to tell Baruwa that the majority of our workers have chosen to continue working with the Agbede-led NURTW and that he should stop wasting his time, money, and resources on a failing initiative. Naturally, our people made a strong message on Thursday at our first CWC meeting in Abuja, where 5 out of the 6 zonal councils and 80% of state councils were present. Additionally, he should keep in mind that, when the time came, he would be required to provide an account of how he handled the union funds, particularly the money earned through the NURTW’s participation in the most recent INEC-conducted general elections.