Workers Day: I will protect your interest, Tinubu assures Labour
By Kabir Akintayo
The President-elect, Bola Tinubu, has assured labour unions in the country that they have found a dependable ally in him, while also assuring them that their fight would be his fight because he would always fight for them.
He added that his plans for better welfare and working conditions are clearly spelt out in his Renewed Hope Agenda for A Better Nigeria, adding that it was a covenant born of conviction which he was prepared to keep.
Tinubu, in a statement he personally signed Monday, described the International Workers’ Day as a special day in most parts of the world – a day to salute and honour the working people whose hard work and sweat continue to oil the wheel of human progress and advancement.
The president-elect said May Day was significant in many respects because it was a day forged and borne out of the struggle for workers’ rights and socio-economic justice, adding that since 1891, it has been observed all over the world.
He said: “In Nigeria, every May 1 is a special day in our national calendar. The public holiday we observe is not just to commemorate the contributions and sacrifices of workers to the well-being of our country. It serves both as a celebration of the rights of workers to dignity, decent wages and decent living, and more importantly, it is a testament to the critical role the labour movement plays in our march towards a stronger, united and more prosperous nation.”
Tinubu recalled that since 1945 when the railway workers and 16 other public service unions led the first General Strike to demand for better wages as a result of rising cost of living, the Labour Movement in Nigeria has always fought on the side of the masses in the country.
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He noted that it was no surprise that the labour movement added fillip, zest and energy to the struggle for independence by partnering with nationalists such as Nnamdi Azikwe, Herbert Macaulay, Ahmadu Bello, Obafemi Awolowo, Ernest Ikoli and Anthony Enahoro among others.
The president-elect stressed that the Nigerian Labour Movement was also not found wanting during the struggle for the restoration of democracy.
He said the the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliate organisations – NUPENG, Textile Union, PENGASSAN, among others, collaborated with the pro-democracy leaders and groups to restore democratic governance in Nigeria in 1999 after almost two unbroken decades of military dictatorship.
Tinubu noted: “On this special day, as your President-elect, I extend my hands of friendship to the Nigerian workers through the two central Labour unions – Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress. In me you will find a dependable ally and co-labourer in the fight for social and economic justice for all Nigerians, including all the working people.
“Your fight will be my fight because I will always fight for you. My plans for better welfare and working conditions are clearly spelt out in my Renewed Hope Agenda for A Better Nigeria. It is a covenant born of conviction and one I am prepared to keep.
“At this point, I must remind Nigerian workers that we all have a common battle to wage, one which we must win together. And it is the fight against poverty, ignorance, disease, disunity, ethnic and religious hate and all negative forces that contend against the stability and prosperity of our country.”
Tinubu further assured the workers that the Nigeria he would have the honour and privilege to lead from May 29, would have more than a minimum wage, saying they would be having a living wage to have a decent life and provide for their families.
He stressed that the days ahead would, however, demand better understanding and cooperation from all sides, because leadership would require that tough and hard decisions are taken so that the people and all Nigerian workers could live more abundantly.
