SERAP Condemns Labour House Seal off by Rivers Govt
Grace Udoh
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Projects(SERAP) strongly condemns the reported sealing-off of the secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) at the D-Line area of Port Harcourt by the government of Nyesom Wike in River State, simply for challenging the government’s failure to pay workers the agreed minimum wage.
This is contained in a statement made available on SERAP official twitter page.
According to the statement, Governor Wike’s government must end this hostility and illegality now and stop further harassment and intimidation of workers in the state by immediately re-opening the NLC secretariat.
River State government has an obligation to uphold national and international laws designed to protect workers and their unions from harassment, intimidation and abuses.
River State government’s action is unconstitutional, as it amounts to unlawful restriction of the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
Rather than harassing and intimidating the NLC, the River State government should obey international standards on the protection of workers’ rights and take heed of workers’ grievances by immediately paying the agreed minimum wage.
Similarly, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which has been ratified by Nigeria, states that “everyone shall have the right to freedom of association with others, including the right to form and join trade unions for the protection of his interests.”
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which Nigeria has also ratified, similarly recognizes “[t]he right of everyone to form trade unions and join the trade union of his choice.”
SERAP will pursue appropriate legal action against River State government if the NLC secretariat is not immediately reopened.