IndustriALL Global Union has salutes all Nigerian workers and the rest of the workers around the world on the historic occasion of the 2017 May Day Celebration.
IndustriALL Global Union with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, represents 50 million workers in 140 countries in the mining, energy and manufacturing sectors, a new force in global solidarity taking up the fight for better working conditions and trade union rights around the world.
In statement Monday, Comrade Issa Aremu said “As the Vice President representing Africa in the global union, on behalf of the President of IndustriALL Global Union, Jörg Hofmann, General Secretary, Valter Sanches and the entire members of the Executive Committee I hereby extend to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the working men and women in Africa and the world in general our fraternal greetings and solidarity.
“As you all know, today is a day of action. A day to celebrate the dignity of labour. A day to celebrate the role of workers in the fight for democracy and social justice. It is a special day to draw global attention to the plight of workers and pensioners particularly in Nigeria.
He said on this historic occasion, IndustriALL Global Union reaffirmed its commitment to the full implementation of the five (5) key goals of IndustriALL namely; building union power;confront global capital;defense of workers’ rights; fight precarious work;ensure sustainable industrial development.
Also, the Catalysts for Peace and Social Justice, a faith-based organization, joined millions of Nigerians in felicitation with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as it celebrated the Nigerian working classes in commemoration of this year’s International Workers’ Day.
A statement by ,Executive Director, Sam Aiyedogbon,CPJ said “We sympathize with Nigerian workers for their courage and perseverance as they have been the worst victims of the pervasive corruption, visionless leadership, lawlessness and impunity which successive leaders, elected at all levels, have visited on the country in the last 18 years of democratic government.
“We regret the relentless chastisement of the Nigerian labourers and working classes with whips and scorpions by successive governments, even as the people cry out that their yoke be lightened.
It empathized with Nigerian workers as they suffer the excruciating impact of a wicked political, business, traditional and religious elite, too self-absorbed with personal and group interests that they care not for righteousness, nor justice, nor love.
The group therefore called on the NLC leadership to: “Unite its leadership cadre in order to organize its members to come together in the coming battles for good governance and a better country.
“Raise its voice against the lethargy, injustice, vindictiveness, nepotism, and confusion that have combined to widen the cracks in the walls of the country’s unity and deepen the nation’s fault lines.
“Mobilise the workers to protest against the poor management of the economy, particularly the failure of this administration to stabilize the Naira, and bring down inflation to single digit.
“Provide leadership for the civil society so there could be a concerted effort to mobilise the workers and the generality of the people to put pressure on the leaders to do what is right in revamping decadent infrastructure, creating the right environment for investment and job creation, resolving the challenge of insecurity caused by herdsmen and kidnappers, funding education to make the nation’s schools and colleges globally competitive, equipping the hospitals for improved Medicare, and implementing policies capable of lifting the generality of the people out of poverty.
We express our solidarity with Nigerian workers and assure them we’d continue to be in the trenches with them in the struggle for good governance in our country and a society where righteousness and justice reign.
