The Organised Labour on Monday described Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment as a round peg in a square hole, saying the minister by virtue of his qualification is incompetent to lead the ministry.
Mr Ayuba Wabba, President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) who led a protest against what they termed the infringement of workers’ rights by Sen. Ngige, urged the minister to reverse some of his decisions which he said were inimical to the welfare of Nigerian workers.
Wabba said the protest was to express their grievance against workers treatment during a rally at the resident of Ngige on Wednesday in Abuja.
The protesting workers held placards with inscriptions like `Workers rights to peaceful protest and picketing are not negotiable’ and ‘Picketing is lawful while thuggery is a crime’, among others.
Also on Monday, the Chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Enugu chapter, Mr Chukwuma Igbokwe, said the union has joined its national union to picket Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) office in the state till further notice.
Addressing the newsmen in Enugu, Igbokwe said that TUC frowned at the TCN management’s anti-labour policies and activities targeted at their members.
The chairman noted that their action was in line with TUC national leaders’ directive and that the summary of their demand was for the removal of the TCN Managing Director, Mr Usman Mohammed.
He accused the management of impunity, indiscriminate transfer of their members, issuing reckless queries to their members.
Others are stopping checkup dues reductions of Senior Staff Electricity and Allied Companies and Senior Staff of the union that is transitional in operation companies among other irregularities.
“TUC at the national level has made all efforts to use dialogue to resolve this matter with TCN but all efforts did not yield positive result.
“It was based on this that the national union directed all TUC chairmen to mobilise their members in the states where transition companies are located for picketing.
“There will be no activities in their offices until further notice from the national to the state offices.
“ Summary of TUC demand is for the removal of the TCN Managing Director, Usman Mohammed.
Igbokwe noted that there was a letter from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity requesting for a meeting with them on May 24, saying that the date was far.
“ I do not know why May 24, it is too far because these are issues we have written them for a long time and up till now there are no response.
“This is nationwide and we have no option than to follow the directives, except our leaders come up with a new directive.