Meet our demands or expect us, TUC tells TCN

By Ukpono Ukpong, Abuja

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has said that despite the attack on its members, there is no going back on the picketing of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) over a prolonged industrial dispute with the management of the company until their demands are met.

Addressing journalists Tuesday in Abuja, the TUC President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama said the dispute has lingered for two years despite several letters written to both the minister of power, works and housing as well as the minister of labour and employment.

Kaigama said it was within the right of workers to picket their employers in the case of an unresolved dispute, adding that “we will continue to picket that place until the right thing is done.”

He described as primitive the alleged hiring of suspected thugs to molest protesting unionists by the managing director of TCN.

“We are insisting that the picketing of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) must continue until our demands are met. The managing director of TCN is behaving as he is even bigger than the President that appointed him.

“We also want an urgent investigation into the attack on our members by suspected thugs at the premises of TCN. What we were doing is legal, why should a sane human being hire suspected thugs against peaceful workers?

“The monumental corruption in the company is alarming, we want investigation into the finances of the company under the managing director,” Kaigama added.

Speaking on the attack on TUC members during the picketing of TCN, Comrade Kaigama said the union had written to the inspector general of police through the FCT commissioner of police with a view to bringing the culprits to book.

He said the managing director of TCN be held responsible should anything go wrong with any of the members of the union.