NLC Pickets CAC Over Anti-Union Practices

*EFCC asked to probe mismanagement of N396m

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday picketed the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Abuja for alleged anti-labour practices.

For some hours, the umbrella labour union prevented the commission’s workers from entering the building.

The NLC, with one of its affiliates, the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), accused the CAC management of violating labour laws against its workers.

Union officials, led by NLC President Ayuba Wabba, arrived the CAC premises early to begin the action.

They said the picketing will last three days.

Wabba accused a CAC top official of misappropriation the agency’s funds.

He said the official spent N250 million to build a car pack, N86 million to upgrade the commission’s internet server, N35 million to fumigate the agency against COVID-19, and N25 million to paint the Zone 5 annex office of the agency, totaling N396 million.

The NLC president urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the alleged financial infractions.

According to Wabba, the Registrar had been trampling on workers’ fundamental rights and melting out ill -treatments at them for exposing his (Abubakar’s) corrupt deeds.

Responding to the allegations, CAC’s Director of Public Affairs, Duke Ukaga, debunked the claim that the workers were not allowed to unionise.

He said there was no way the management could have embezzled government’s money for fumigation.

“The commission, being a very law-abiding organization, is obeying the rules of the National Industrial Court, which gave a ruling in December 2019 and May 2020 that the union, which most of the workers had joined, the AUPCTRE, was a junior workers’ union and not applicable to senior workers. This is in line with the Trade Union Act 2004 and 2005.

“The commission is only obeying the court judgment. Till date, there has been no injunction or stay of execution order. So for them to say that we are forcing them to join the union is manifestly wrong.”