Human rights activist, Femi Falana (SAN), on Wednesday said the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) should no longer limit its struggle to the issue of minimum wage alone.
He said it was time for the NLC got involved in active politics because it was the only union that could fight for the interest of Nigerian workers.
Falana advised labour to form a coalition, noting that no political party appeared to represent the interest of the Nigeria people.
“The NLC can no longer limit itself to the defence of wages alone, it has to get involved in the issue of politics as it did in the past and intervene politically”, he told NAN.
“The union has over the years fought for the interest of the masses much more than the members of the ruling class of various fractions which sold our common patrimonies.
“The only time you see the ruling class defending the masses is when there was going to be an election and after they won election it is now preservation of the status quo and of imperialism.
“The NLC has always been the voice of the people and the voice must come back and take its rightful place.
“NLC must recall the role it played in the time past to fight the colonial regime, NLC must recall that it was the labour movement that fought the military and chased them out of power.
“NLC must also know that it is the only organisation that can defend the people and bring about their freedom.
“I can assure you that the labour movement that will emerge from here will be a new labour movement and not a dumping ground for the ruling class party.’’
Comments