By VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG

A MAJOR crisis is brewing in the Trade Unions Congress, TUC as no fewer than 13 affiliates have petitioned the leadership of the labour centre questioning the leadership of style of its President.

Among the aggrieved affiliates are Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, CANMPSSAN, Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, FOBTOB, Hotel and Personal Service Senior Staff Association, HAPSSSA, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, Precision, Electrical and Related Equipment Senior Staff Association, PERESSA, Automobile, Boatyard, Transport, Equipment and Allied Senior Staff Association, AUTOBATE, and Pulp Paper and Products, Printing and Publishing Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PPAPPAPSSAN.

*TUC President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama

In a resolution by leaders of the aggrieved affiliates at a meeting in Lagos, on March 31, 2014, they stated , “We the undersigned, affiliate Trade Unions of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, having appraised events and activities since the present national leadership of the TUC came into office in June 2013, the meeting observed with great worries that the provisions in the Constitution of the TUC on the decisions making process which stipulates that the administration and operations of TUC shall be taken through its appropriate organs  are being flagrantly flouted.”

They claimed that efforts to bring their concerns particularly, alleged constitutional breaches to the  President and the Secretary General  were ignored.

The meeting stressed the urgent need to call meetings of the key organs of TUC namely, National Administrative Council, NAC, Central Working Committee, CWC, and National Executive Council, NEC, “to deliberate on, and address the following issues: TUC national housing project, programme of activities of TUC under the current leadership, irregularity of meetings of the various organs of TUC, TUC transport business, its representation and position to the National Conference, NC.

“Consequent upon the above observation, the meeting collectively resolves as follows; that the President should convene a meeting of the key organs of TUC namely, NAC, CWC and NEC to deliberate on the issues listed above on or before Tuesday April 8, 2014, that in the event that the meetings are not convened as requested, the concerned affiliates may be compelled to take whatever legitimate trade union action deemed appropriate to challenge the observed irregularities in the administration of TUC.”

TUC leadership response

Responding, Secretary General of TUC, Musa Lawal, lamented that  the aggrieved affiliates, especially PENGASSAN  had been undermining TUC since the last Delegates Conference held in June 2013 and had not been paying affiliation dues to the  TUC since then.

Musa who detailed what he termed “subscription arrears as at March 2014”, claimed that “More importantly, is the fact that many of the affiliates have not been discharging their financial responsibilities to the centre .”

In his explanatory note of the table, Lawal said “Only Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, ASSBIFI, Senior Staff Association of Communication, Transport and Corporation, SSACTAC, SSACTAC, Construction and Civil Engineering Senior Staff Association, CCESSA, Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions, SSAUTHRlAI, Textile, Garment and Tailoring Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, TGTSSAN have been consistent in the discharge of their financial obligations to the Secretariat.

“National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE, paid for 12 months arrears from April 2013 to March 2014 only on Friday 14th March 2014. PENGASSAN’s last payment was April 2013 before payment of N10 Million each in February 2014 and March 2014 reducing the debt to N29, 325,000:00 representing eight months of arrears. In obviously pathetic discharge of financial responsibility to the centre, it is near impossible to carry on day-to-day activities of TUC.

“Even at that, remarkable progress has been made in housing project, Transport business etc., and we have set up an efficient up-to-date modern office in Abuja, to ease the administrative machinery.  We however appeal to all those who are concerned about the progress of the centre to discharge their basic obligations  to engender mutual rights and obligations to the benefit of all.”

Debunking claims of no meetings of NAC, CWC and NEC meeting, Musa stressed that several meetings had been called with the aggrieved affiliates appropriately notified, but many of them refused to attend.

According to him, there was the inaugural meeting and handover to the new leadership on July 22, 2013, held at TUC secretariat in Lagos.

Similarly, NAC meeting was held on September 24, 2013, at Airport Hotel, Lagos, NEC meeting for housing development for members which had NAC, CWC and State Councils officials held on October 23, 2013, at NUT End Well Hotel, Kaduna.

He said there was also a NAC meeting preparatory to the courtesy visit to President Goodluck Jonathan on December 2, 2013, at ASCSN secretariat, Close, Abuja and this was followed by a visit to President Jonathan by all NAC members on December 2, 2013, at Aso rock, Abuja.

According to him, there was the flag-off of the housing policy on December 6, 2013, at Abuja and was attended by all NAC , CWC, and State Councils officials, adding that, this was the familiarization visit to affiliates by NAC members which started February 2014.

On allegations that Kaigaima single-handedly selected representatives of TUC at the NC, Lawal said: “When the issue of NC came up, all affiliates especially those who at critical period abandoned their responsibilities to TUC began to ingratiate themselves to TUC leadership, all in an effort to get a nomination.”

He added that after consultation with affiliates of good standing, nominations were submitted to the Presidency for the conference, saying nomination went to affiliates that had been alive to their responsibilities.

Labour Vanguard however gathered that meetings of  TUC’s  NAC, CWC and NEC have been fixed for May 2 and 3, in Abuja.