Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have failed Nigerians by refusing to act in the face of unbridled killings of defenceless Nigerians across the country.
The Rivers State Governor made the declaration in an address during the 2018 Workers Day celebrations in Port Harcourt and said it is not in national interest for labour to be only concerned about salary increment when their kith and kin are mauled to death on a daily basis.
“Labour is only after the increment of wages and emoluments without showing concern for the mass killings going on across different states of the Federation.
“Labour is quiet in the face of deaths. Of what benefit will increment of salaries be when all your children, friends and relatives are killed in the course of this national insecurity?
“It is incumbent on labour to rise up in defence of Nigerians by demanding for immediate cessation of killings,” Wike said.
He stressed that labour has a duty to work towards the progress of Nigeria as they battle for their welfare, saying labour must rekindle their pre-2015 posture when they participated in occupy Nigeria during the Jonathan era.
The governor urged labour to defend the nation’s democracy which is under threat by the failure of the APC Federal Government to respect the rule of law and democratic tenets.
“Be vigilant and defend our democracy in 2019. That is what labour is known for. Labour thrives under democracy. Without democracy, labour will run into challenges,” he said.
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