…To mobilize farmers, students, others into the party
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is set to take over the Labour Party (LP) from politicians and expand its frontiers with the mobilisation of farmers, students and others into the party.
Disclosing this on Friday when he paid a courtesy visit to the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) secretariat in Apapa, Lagos, the NLC President, Comrade Joseph Ajaero, said that NLC will henceforth be involved in politics.
He recounted that LP was formed some years back by NLC when the duo of former General Secretary of NULGE and former President, Bank Union, Nwanyanwu and Salam were chosen to lead the party.
“Those were the first chairman and secretary of Labour Party. The Labour Party you are hearing is not ordinary name. The certificate is in my office. Na we get am. Just as you have Labour Mass Transport. But after those two people, we lost the party,” Comrade Ajaero retorted.
The NLC President said that since then politicians started using the platform to contest.
He reiterated that under his watch and his lieutenants they are going to recover the party from politicians.
The NLC President charged workers wishing to run for any elective position be it governorship or legislative to go and prepare.
In his words: “Whatever position you want to run for, come out. We cannot build a house and allow another person to occupy it. Never again.
” Why are we saying this? We have to hand over the labour policy of demands that whosoever wants to be a candidate of Labour Party must follow. It is not negotiable.”
Comrade Ajaero said that nobody should use Labour Party platform to win election and go against minimum wage.
“Never again. We have to tell you what our minimum wage is. Even people that have emerged (won elections) from the party now, if they don’t follow our policy we will fight against them.”
He hinted that like during the time of Pa Imoudu when there was Labour and Farmers Party, NLC will join forces with other well meaning Nigerians to build a strong political party.
He stated that workers, farmers, students and others will be mobilized as NLC cannot do it all alone.
“After these elections all of us have to rebuild the party because we are tired of begging people for minimum wage.
” I want to plead with you to look at labour and politics. It does not mean that you can’t be a member of other parties. Anybody that wants to be a member of APC is free. Anyone that wants to join PDP is free. Because that is your right as enshrined in Section 40 of the constitution.
” It is the right of Nigerians to belong to any trade union of their choice, any party of their choice and any religion of their choice.
“But we are working on this for the welfare of Nigerian workers. I didn’t come to say everybody must be a member of Labour Party but it is our party.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress and the CWC and the NEC and even delegates conference had adopted it. That is our party. We can no longer be strangers to our party,” he enthused.
Earlier in his welcome address, the President General, MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, commended the NLC President for his record, stating that the union is sure of his capacity to do a thorough job of guiding the union from straying away from the right path.
Comrade Adeyanju assured him of MWUN’s commitment and unwavering support for his administration and the vision of hope he brought to the Nigerian working class and allies.