Ahead of the planned del-egates’ conference of the Ni-geria Labour Congress (NLC) scheduled for Abuja from March 1 to 3, the Congress has held an interactive session with the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE).
The session, according to the NLC President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, was to intimate the editors on the Congress’ position on this year’s general elections.
It was also to hear from the editors, their analyses of the labour movement and suggestions on how it can improve and be more effective.
Omar hinted that the NLC has developed an alternative development plan for assisting the government to take the right steps in bailing the country out of the economic crisis.
Omar said: "We cannot preach to you about patriotism and sacrifice. Those are precisely what the media has stood for from colonial times. We share this same patrimony and, therefore, wish to explore with you how we can jointly work together for the emancipation of our dear country.
Praising NLC’s policy directions, which he said, have yielded fruitful results in the last four years, Omar said NLC’s actions have contributed to availability of petroleum products in the country.
"In the last four years due to the collective efforts of the Labour Movement, the consistent position of the masses of our people and the wise counsel in the government not to persist blindly with its religion of deregulation, fuel has been available across the country and the prices stable. The NLC intends to adhere to this policy because to do otherwise will be to worsen the already precarious situation of the Nigerian people.
"We are dedicated to a peaceful industrial relations system, but give notice to employers who seek to trample the rights of workers into the dust that they will not be allowed to do business in the country. In this wise, some of the primary goals of the Congress in the next four years is to fight the evils of the casualisation of permanent work, contract staff, expatriate quota abuse, non-payment of salaries and denial of workers fundamental human rights including those to freedom of association.
The Congress also intends to unionise workers in the informal economy, especially the self-employed. It also plans to work closely with its allies, especially in the Civil Society Movement to protect the broad interests of the general citizenry and ensure that sovereignty is exercised by them during governance.
In its own analysis, NLC said the policy direction of the government, and those of opposition political parties are tilted towards the religion of market forces to the detriment of the welfare and wellbeing of the people, and the development of the country.
It, therefore, said it has developed an Alternative Development Plan for the country which it will soon make public and popularise across the country. "This will form the basis of our relations with government at all levels, and even with employers in the country."
Omar noted that poverty and unemployment are causing revolution across the globe and, therefore, warned that the government take the right step towards job creation and poverty alleviation in other to prevent such crisis in the country.
"Some African countries have exploded in mass protests in the last few weeks. While the government in Tunisia fell, that of Algeria has managed to hold out while the Hosni Mubarak regime in Egypt is tottering. These protests have been largely fuelled by rising prices, mass unemployment and poverty. We need to urgently address these challenges to spare our country these type of mass revolts.
"The 2011 budget contains plans to initiate a National Job Creation Scheme with emphasis on Labour-intensive public works. While this is a commendable step, it does not fundamentally address the problem which includes the policy focus of the government. This is dictated by complete reliance on imaginary market forces which actually creates jobs in foreign countries rather than in Nigeria.
Also, Congress has warned that the new scheme should not be reduced to another bureaucracy where money is thrown at a problem with little positive results."
He stressed the need for the government to create jobs.
"Apart from the need to urgently and comprehensively address the job issue, Congress position is that the business of government must include the provision of mass housing, water, and education for all children to the Senior Secondary School grade. Also, electricity should be available, reliable and affordable.
"Politicians who support these basic programmes will be supported by the Labour Movement, conversely, the Labour Movement and the Nigerians have the duty to oppose and campaign against politicians who do not accept this minimum programme."
NLC also addressed jumbo pay of the legislators, requesting for it to be cut.
"The cost of running the government should be cut as regards the jumbo pay of legislators and wastage in government.
The high cost of government such as the Central Bank governor has revealed, is not the stipends paid to keep workers alive or the number of employees in the public service, but the highly disproportionate amount that goes into servicing the voracious appetite of the legislature, political office holders and other government appointees, and of course, the endemic corruption in the system.
On this year’s general elections, Omar said NLC would mobilise against any politician whose programmes negate the basic interests of workers and the populace, especially on issues of availability and affordable petroleum products and electricity tariff, mass employment, protection of local industries and the welfare and general wellbeing of the people.
"We were quite worried about the large scale fraud that characterised the 2007 general elections and are embarrassed that, at least, one-third of the gubernatorial elections conducted could not withstand the scrutiny of the judiciary. This, and its serious implications for governance and the future of democracy led the NLC to play the vanguard role it has played and continues to play in electoral reform issues. The NLC will, therefore, not hesitate to lead the people in mass protests against politicians who despite the electoral reforms, decide to subvert the will of voters during the elections.
"The campaign of "One man, One Vote; One Woman, One Vote" should not just be a slogan, but a creed. It should not be a campaign but a movement. We must develop a culture where electoral crimes will be punished rather than its perpetuators rewarded by being allowed to re-contest as was done in recent re-run elections," he said.
Source: http://thenationonlineng.net
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