2023: Workers, masses'll determine fate of presidential, other aspirants — Labour

Ahead of 2023 general elections, Organised Labour, yesterday, in Asaba Delta State, sounded a note of warning to presidential and other aspirants that workers and the masses of Nigeria would determine their fate.

Specifically, it warned that the elections would not be business as usual, contending that workers and ordinary Nigerians would not only change the narrative, but also work against anti-workers and anti-people politicians.

President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Ayuba Wabba, who spoke at the 5th Quadrennial Delegates Conference, QDC, of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, insisted that politicians had deceived Nigerian workers and masses for so long, adding that 2023 will be different.

Wabba, who noted that workers would not be apolitical this time, argued that part of the determination to change the narrative informed the recently launched NLC Political Commission, which had unfolded Congress Charter of Demands.

He said: “We will not be deceived by political leaders that are not friendly to workers. We have some of them that since 2015 have not increased the salary of their workers, no collective bargaining, even to pay the National Minimum Wage of N30,000, they have refused to engage the workers.”

The NLC President noted that workers and Nigerian masses were now wiser and would engage politically and scrutinise all aspirants, both new and old.

He urged workers, including NUPENG members and ordinary Nigerians, to go all out to collect their PVCs and massively work against anti-workers and anti-people politicians.

He said: "Workers will engage politically, if now as a worker you are yet to get your voter’s card, please do so immediately.

"We are going to have our structure and commissions in all the 774 local government areas and all the 36 states of the federation to engage political leaders on what they have to offer.

“As Nigeria is transiting both politically and economically in terms of fossil fuel, there are threat to jobs, the more reason labour will engage politically on the future of workers. 

‘’The recently launched Nigeria Workers Charter of Demands calls for the rehabilitation of our refineries and the building of new ones. Local refineries will not only ensure satisfaction of domestic petroleum products demands but also create jobs and ensure energy security for our country.

On his part, the President of NUPENG, Prince William Akporeha, condemned the deplorable state of the four refineries in the country.

He said: “We are really worried and concerned that a country with the resources and the population like Nigeria is still dependent on importation, thereby exporting jobs and resources to other countries. 

‘’The Federal Government should be up and doing to ensure that the refineries are working to reduce importation.”