The Nigeria Labour Congress has explained why members of the association will continue to be involved in politics.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, this was stated by the NLC President, Mr Joe Ajaero, during courtesy visits to some labour unions in Lagos on Thursday.
Among the unions are the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, the National Union of Electricity Workers, and the National Union of Banking, Insurance, and Financial Institutions.
According to Ajaero, the Labour Party is owned by the Labour movement.
He claims that the LP is a political party with the philosophy of the working class movement and a manifesto outlining workers’ demands.
“We have an era that we are entering: era of politics, and we will not shy away.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress will be involved in politics; we are already involved in politics; NLC had a political party: the Labour Party, and the LP participated in the recent elections.
“Nigeria must exist before we practice our unionism; anybody, who emerges as the President of Nigeria will work with us, and the rights and privileges of the workers must be guaranteed.
“The current wage system, casualisation policy, and outsourcing are anti-worker; with such policies, we can’t be our brothers’ keepers,“ he said.
“We have not been managing it by ourselves; we have been letting individuals from outside to now answer the LP,” the Labour leader said, encouraging union members to get involved in politics.
He urged members to continue informing workers throughout the country about the LP.
“That is what we are going to impose on them; even the ones that have emerged as senators or House of Representatives members, they must, as a necessity, meet with us and we will give them our programmes.
“That is the whole essence of thinking of the LP in the first place; so that their actions, inactions, and utterances will reflect the affairs of the labour movement, and there should be no pretence about it.
“We are not saying that people cannot belong to any party of their choice, but we have a party where whatever we discuss here, we take it there as workers.
“Where, if we want new minimum wage, we take it to the people that represent us there; all these issues concern the workers, and we should no longer shy away from it,” Ajaero said.