TUC Vows to Shut Down Activities in Lagos on Monday

Onyebuchi   Ezigbo in  Abuja

The face-off between the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Lagos State Government over the lingering leadership crisis within the state chapter of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) has taken a new dimension with the union declaring Monday as a day of protest in Lagos.

Barring any last minute intervention to resolve the dispute over the weekend, TUC said that its members and affiliates will shutdown commercial activities in the former capital city of Nigeria.

Addressing journalists, TUC President, Festus Osifo, said that the union has made several efforts to get the Lagos State Government to obey the ruling of the court on the crisis in RTEAN but to no avail.

“Till today, that the judgement of the High Court was not complied with by the Lagos State Government,” he said.

Osifo said that the union has written severally to the state government appealing to it to respect the court judgement and to ensure quick resolution of the dispute.

He said that, “TUC at its last National Executive Council (NEC) meeting frowned at refusal of the Lagos State Government under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to abide by the National Industrial Court, NIC, ruling of April 18, 2023 ordering it to vacate the premises of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN and allow the union free operation.

“In the communiqué, TUC gave the Lagos State Government a two-week ultimatum within which to obey the court order and dispense with the impasse with RTEAN or face a total shut down effective 12 midnight of 18 September, 2023.” 

Osifo said that all affiliates of TUC and the Lagos State council of the congress have been directed to commence full mobilisation for the total shutdown in Lagos on Monday. 

According to him, the TUC will carry out a protest in Lagos on Monday to press home its demands.

“If the same position remains, then there is going be total shutdown in the state because for us this is clearly unacceptable,” Osifo said, adding that “the TUC had already notified the Director General of the State Security Service (SSS) and the Inspector General of Police to ensure that the protest is successful,” he said.

When asked the level of intervention TUC had sought to resolve the dispute before embarking on the protest, Osifo said that the union had written to the Minister of Labour and Employment who he said had reached out to the Lagos State Government but without any resolution insight.

Osifo said that though Lagos State appealed the judgement but did not secure any stay of execution to warrant its continued refusal to implement the court ruling.

He accused the Lagos State Government of ignoring all entreaties made by the union to vacate the premises of RTEAN in adherence to the court ruling.