Dangote/ PENGASSAN: Oshiomhole is Judas Iscariot of working class – NUPENG

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, ABUJA

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has described Senator Adams Oshiomhole arsenic the Judas Iscariot of commercialized unionism implicit his comments connected the resolved face-off betwixt Dangote Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN.

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NUPENG, successful a connection by Comrades Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, National President and General Secretary respectively, said: “These remarks correspond a reprehensible onslaught connected the cardinal rights of Nigerian workers and a blatant distortion of established labour laws.”

It further stated: “We presumption with heavy disappointment a erstwhile labour person who has morphed into a staunch defender of firm oppression, undermining the precise rights helium erstwhile fought to protect.

“His efforts to warrant the victimization of workers for exercising their rights to relation and peaceful enactment are not lone repugnant, but besides a flagrant misrepresentation of Nigerian labour instrumentality and International Labour Organisation, ILO, conventions.”

NUPENG said it is the tallness of irony that “we indispensable question whether erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo’s statement of Senator Oshiomhole – astatine a Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, delegates’ league meal – arsenic ‘a comrade successful the greeting and a person by night’ holds true.

“If so, does specified a fig person the authorization to lecture others connected strategy oregon morality? How tin idiosyncratic who erstwhile advised allegedly corrupt politicians to articulation the APC for absolution present presume to preach ethics?

“This besides raises questions astir his assertion of relinquishing the General Secretary presumption astatine the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, upon becoming NLC President.

“The facts are indisputable: Adams Oshiomhole held some the NLC Presidency and NUTGTWN General Secretary roles from 1999 to 2007, lone stepping down from the second successful 2008 – 1 twelvemonth aft leaving the NLC.

“Does this bespeak an unyielding pursuit of power, influence, and idiosyncratic gain?”

Rewriting history

It said determination appears to beryllium a persistent signifier successful the Senator’s behaviour: rewriting past to align with his existent reactionary stance successful favour of capitalists, who cull commercialized unions successful pursuit of exploitative labour practices.

“We indispensable besides question whether Senator Oshiomhole genuinely merits the self-conferred rubric of “Distinguished,” by which senators code 1 different – a rubric earned done undemocratic privilege alternatively than merit.

“His existent presumption is not that of a pragmatic reformer but the rantings of an apostate, seduced by powerfulness and compromised by vested interests, betraying the origin of Nigeria’s downtrodden workers.

“Oshiomhole began his interrogation by admitting constricted cognition of the issue, yet astatine 73 years old, helium recklessly proceeded to denounce the PENGASSAN onslaught connected state of relation – seemingly astatine the behest of almighty forces.

“This stance, based connected unverified claims, is some irresponsible and deplorable.

“For clarity, we reiterate the applicable ineligible provisions:

“Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) guarantees each idiosyncratic successful Nigeri – citizens and non-citizens alike – the close to state of relation and assembly.

“Section 9(6) of the Labour Act (Cap L1, LFN 2004) prohibits immoderate declaration that excludes a idiosyncratic from commercialized national membership.

“ILO Conventions 87 (Freedom of Association) and 98 (Right to Collective Bargaining), ratified by Nigeria, support workers’ rights to signifier and articulation unions of their prime without interference.”

NUPENG contended that wide dismissals for unionizing “violate these standards, which are enshrined successful the Constitution via Sections 254C(1) and (2).

“Contrary to the Senator’s assertions, employers person nary authorization to interfere successful an employee’s state of relation – this close belongs exclusively to the worker,” the national noted.

It said Nigerian laws besides safeguard the close not to articulation a union, requiring...