NIGERIAN NATIONAL LABOUR CONGRESS OPPOSES

UNCLAS LAGOS 002322 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB PGOV KDEM ECON NI SUBJECT: NIGERIAN NATIONAL LABOUR CONGRESS OPPOSES OBASANJO'S LABOR REFORM BILL ¶1. (U) The latest stage in the recurring disputes between the President and the National Labour Congress (NLC) was President Olusegun Obasanjo's submission of a bill to the National Assembly to revise laws governing trade unions. The bill seeks to amend Nigeria's Trade Unions Act by recognizing multiple trade unions centers and calling for voluntary union membership. In addition, the bill removes a mandatory 10 per cent dues check-off for trade union centers, giving unions the option of financially supporting affiliate organizations like the NLC. ¶2. (U) NLC Deputy President Joseph Akinlaja told ConGen's Political/Labor Specialist that the NLC met on Friday, October 31, and issued a communique which criticized the Presidency for its attempt to weaken the organization. Likewise, during a meeting with Anthony Jones, Country Director for the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center, NLC President Adams Oshiomhole characterized GON efforts to dismantle the current labor structure as a "civilian dictatorship" that has led unions "to fight for their lives in a way they never had under Abacha." Oshiomhole added that the NLC is considering several strategies to defeat the proposed legislation, including a plan to mobilize opposition to the bill through a state-by-state campaign to ensure that its rank and file understands the impact of the GON-proposed revisions. ¶3. (U) The NLC is also working to form alliances within the National Assembly and is aggressively seeking support from several key GON leaders, including representatives of the Senate and House Committees on Labor and the Senate President. Akinlaja told PolSpec that the two legislative houses are quite supportive of labor's stance on a wide range of issues and key leaders have committed themselves to defeating the bill. However, the mood at Labor House (NLC headquarters) is not as optimistic, according to Anthony Jones, who is observing NLC meetings to develop a national strategy. Jones told LabOff that following the failed Stakeholders Forum that saw several government leaders distance themselves from the NLC, the NLC leadership is beginning to question whether its allies within government will serve as visible advocates for labor despite pressure from the Presidency. ¶4. (U) Although the NLC remains optimistic, it has begun considering its legal options should the bill pass. While the NLC is not considering strike as an option to contest Obasanjo's recent efforts to reform labor laws, its leaders argue that it has primarily used the right to strike as a tool to force the GON to honor commitments it has already made. They believe that a GON commitment to bargain in good faith and constructively involve unions in promoting worker-friendly policies would empower labor in other ways and promote a more industrious process to resolve conflicts. ¶5. Comment. Union leaders are also seeking labor reform and have become increasingly philosophical as they reassess their role in improving the quality of life for Nigerian workers. Their grievances are more procedural and focus on establishing a sustainable process for implementing and enforcing collective bargaining agreements. While unions are pleased with the collective bargaining process in the private sector, the GON has struggled to maintain productive relationships with key labor leaders. The NLC leadership is concerned that labor's power lies solely in its right to strike, which has created an environment characterized by confrontation. HINSON-JONES