Don’t remove Labour from Exclusive List, NLC tells NASS
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the National Assembly not to remove labour related matters from the Exclusive Legislative List.
The plea is coming amidst agitation in some quarters the labour matters should be taken to the Concurrent List in the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution.
Mrs. Funmi Sessi, the Lagos State chairman of the NLC on Saturday presented this position at the Senate’s South-West Zonal Public Hearing on the Review of the 1999 Constitution in Lagos.
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According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) the labour chieftain said the call to “attempts by some clandestine interests working with some legislators” to remove labour provisions in Schedule 1, Item 34 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List.
“Little is left to imagination about what would happen if labour provisions were transferred to the concurrent list.
“This is the reason Nigerian workers view attempts at removing the labour provisions from the exclusive to the concurrent list as an existential threat against trade unions and equitable industrial relations in Nigeria.
“Nigerian workers are prepared to resist this internal colonialism with the last drop of their blood. We resisted this evil before. We will resist it again,” she said.
“Making a case for electoral reforms, the labour leader called for a holistic and genuine implementation of the late Justice Uwais-led Electoral Reform Committee to address challenges of recent elections.
“The country needs an overhaul of our electoral laws now more than ever. A stitch in time might still save nine.
“There is a need for non-politicisation and democratisation of INEC in order to make Nigeria’s Electoral Management Body truly independent from partisan influence and control.
“We propose, in line with the Uwais Report, that the governance and management team of INEC should be constituted by nominees of society blocs, including the Nigeria Bar Association, labour, women, persons living with disabilities, CSOs and political parties with representations in the National Assembly, faith-based organisations, and media.
“The appointment process should be in line with the recommendations of the Justice Uwais Reform, with the role of the President being to submit the recommendations made by the National Judiciary Council to the National Council of States, of which an incumbent President is a member, to decide,” she said.
