INTRODUCTION
• The inaugural Central Working Committee (CWC) Meeting of the Nigeria Labour Conference (NLC) held on Wednesday 25th March, 2015 in Lagos.

• The inaugural CWC was presided over by the Congress President, Comrade Joe Ajaero and other members of the National Administrative Council (NAC) that included Comrade Igwe Achese, Deputy President, Comrade Issa Aremu, mni Deputy President, Comrade Kadiri Kazeem, Vice President, Comrade Yahaya Yashi, Vice President and Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi, Vice President among others.

• CWC critically examined wide range of labour and national issues that affect affiliate unions and generality of our members.

• After extensive deliberations, the Congress resolved as follows:

1. UNITY OF THE LABOUR MOVEMENT
• The CWC in Session reaffirms its commitment to the unity of the Labour Movement in Nigeria based on the principles of trade union independence, fairness, strong internal democracy, equity, solidarity, gender balance and justice.

• CWC mandates the leadership of the Congress headed by Comrade Joe Ajaero to enter into genuine dialogue with independent Reconciliation Committee to be constituted by labour veterans and civil society leaders with a view of addressing the current challenges facing the Congress.

2. NEW MINISTER OF LABOUR AND PRODUCTIVITY
• CWC-in-Session congratulates the new Minister of Labour and Productivity, Senator Joel Danlami Ikenya for his appointment and promises to work with him based on mutual trust and respect.

• However, CWC-in-Session advises the new Minister of Labour not to hastily dabble into internal affairs of trade union movement and must respect ILO Conventions 87 and 98 with respect to rights of workers to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

3. VOTE OF CONFIDENCE
• The C.W.C in Session therefore expressed confidence in the capacity of Comrade Ajaero-led National Administrative Council (NAC) to rebuild and restore the powers and influence of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and provide open, transparent and programmatic leadership that will galvanize the mass of our members in the struggle for decent work.

4. STATUTORY COMMITTEES
• CWC-in-Session mandates the NAC to constitute the statutory committees of the Congress based on the all inclusive trade union principles spelt out above. The Committees include:

i) International Affairs Committee
ii) Education Committee
iii) Information and Public Relations Committee
iv) Industrial Relations/Organisation Committee
v) Finance Committee
vi) Political Commission
vii) Women Commission
viii) Economic Commission

5. AD-HOC COMMITTEES

• CWC constituted the following committees;

i) Anti-casualisation committee
ii) Minimum Wage Committee
iii) 2015 May Day Committee
iv) Media and Publicity

6. CONGRESS READY TO SERVE AFFLIATES
• CWC directs all affiliates to forward the list of work related issues and challenges to the Secretariat for immediate Congress’ intervention.

7. NO TO RETRENCHMENT IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE
• The CWC-in-Session noted the moves by the Federal Government to commence the implementation of the Orosanye Report on merger of Federal Ministries, Department and Agencies. The CWC-in-Session therefore warned the Federal Government, that it would resist any attempt to hide under the exercise of implementation of a controversial committee report to lay off Workers in the Public Sector and deepen unemployment crisis in the country.
• CWC advised the Governments at all levels to create mass jobs and should not deny the existing limited jobs.

8. ORGANIZE, DO NOT AGONIZE; END CASUAL, CONTRACT AND PRECARIOUS WORK

• CWC in Session calls on all affiliates and members to identify and submit to the anti-casualisation Committee list of all employers in their respective sectors engaging in sharp employment practices such as contract and casual work.

• CWC in Session further mandates the anti-casualisation Committee to develop appropriate framework of actions to compel all recalcitrant employers to respect the extant labour laws of Nigeria and engage workers in line with international best practices including Picketting, prosecutions and filling reports to the Federal Ministry of Labour and the ILO.

9. STATE COUNCIL ELECTIONS
• CWC in session endorses the guidelines for the conduct of state council elections in the month of April as proposed by the National Administrative Council.

10. AUTONOMY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

• CWC in session noted that Local Government is an important tier of Government and a critical vehicle for the development of the grassroots.
• CWC further expressed solidarity the National Union of Local Government Employees on her consistent demand for autonomous Local Government Administration in Nigeria.

11. SOLIDARITY WITH MARITIME WORKERS
• CWC in session commended the Maritime workers Union for her principled stand on the open irregularities in the conduct of the botched 11th National Delegates Conference.
• CWC further expressed solidarity with the Maritime Workers Union over its struggle with Port Terminal Operators for the review and renewal of conditions of service of port workers. These Maritime workers can count on the congress support for this legitimate struggle for the improvement of the well being of port workers in the Country.

12. FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION
• The CWC reaffirms the commitment of the NLC to defend the rights of workers to freedom of association and collective bargaining as enshrined in our constitution and labour laws and explicitly reaffirms the commitment to uphold ILO conventions 87 and 98.

13. CAUTION SECURITY AGENCIES
• CWC notes with concern the ways and manners some security Agencies are being mis-used to harass and intimidate some leaders of Affiliates of NLC like NUBIFIE in the bid to deny them the right to freedom of association. Labour issues are purely industrial not security issues. There are specialized agencies such as Federal Ministry of Labour, Trip partite National Labour Advisory Council that should address labour issues based on ILO principle of social Dialogue not police intimidation of labour leaders.

• CWC therefore pledges to do all that is required to assert the right of the workers to join the union of their choice and ensure that no employer obstructs and deny Nigerian workers their inalienable rights using some security agencies.

14. NON-PAYMENT OF SALARIES
• The CWC-in-Session observes that some states as well as some Federal Agencies own salaries for many months. Delayed payment of salaries is wage theft and grossly unacceptable.

• The CWC therefore mandates the new leadership of NLC and State Councils to take immediate measures to compel every employer whether public or private, in particular State Governments to pay the arrears of salaries without further delay.

15. NEW MINIMUM WAGE
• Observed, that the five year tenure of the national minimum wage comes to an end later this year.
Consequently the CWC endorses the Minimum wage Committee proposed by the National Administrative Council and directs that the committee develop proposals on a new national minimum wage as part of the preparation for negotiation with the Federal Government, Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) before 2015 May Day.

STATE OF THE NATION

16. ECONOMY
• The CWC expresses deep concern about the unending and free fall of the naira against international currencies and the implications for industrial production, job security and the disposable income of workers. The devaluation of the Naira has impacted negatively on local manufacturing because many factories depended on imported inputs leading to increased prices of goods and services.

• CWC further stresses that the growth and development of the real sectors and increased value added in manufacturing are quite critical for creation of mass decent jobs, elimination of poverty and for building a virile and sustainable economy.

17. NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION PLAN
• CWC Commends the Federal Government for the bold attempt at policy formulation as demonstrated by the recent launch of the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) and urges the National Assembly to fast track the passage of the Bill on Metallurgical inspection and raw material development and related matters in Nigeria as the basis for accelerated industrial development in Nigeria.

18. FUEL SCARCITY
• CWC in session notes with deep concern the sudden emergence of long queues at fuel stations in major cities as a result of insufficient supply of petroleum products across the country. This has led to arbitrary increase in pump price of petroleum products.

• CWC therefore directs all Affiliates and State Councils to urgently put in place the mechanism to monitor and ensure compliance with the approved N87 per litre pump price of petrol.

19. REDUCTION IN ELECTRICITY TARIFF
• CWC in session commends the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and indeed the Federal Government on the recent 50 percent reduction of Electricity tariff.

• CWC stresses further that the reduction in tariff should not only be sustained by successive administration but also accompanied with improved electricity supply.

20. FUNDING OF TERTIARY EDUCATION
• CWC in session expresses concern about continued crisis in tertiary education in Nigeria, noting that the issue of funding has been at the center of the perennial crisis in the Nigeria University system in particular.

21. SUPPORTS ASUU/SSANU STRUGGLE

• CWC notes with serious worries the non-release of the 1.3 trillion Naira for 2014 as agreed with the Federal Government during the prolonged Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike action in 2013 and expressed solidarity with ASUU on this legitimate demand for implementation.

22. NATIONAL CONFAB
• The CWC in Session commends the Federal Executive Council on the decision for the immediate implementation of the National Conference report. Further the Conference in Session calls for the immediate implementation of all recommendations in respect of labour issues.

23. LABOUR PARTY
• The CWC-in-Session reaffirms the position of the National Executive Council (NEC) of NLC meeting held in Enugu in 2014 to reclaim and reposition the Labour Party.

• Consequently, CWC affirms support for the interim leadership of Comrade Salisu Mohammed and Comrade Lawson Osagie.

• CWC urges the Interim leadership to work with all affiliates to mobilize our members in their efforts to rebuild the labour party.

• CWC condemns the arbitrary factional recognition of Abdulsalam group which violates the spirit and content of the NEC and Conference resolutions of the Labour Party.

24. 2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS
• The CWC in Session salutes all Nigerians as we prepare for another historic national, legislative and states elections.

• CWC calls for cessation of palpable tension and apprehension over the March 28 Presidential election.

• CWC expresses optimism that the winners in all these elections are Nigeria and Nigerians and further calls on Politicians on all sides to eschew violence and ensure peaceful and credible general elections.

25. WORKERS AS VOTERS-ELECTION MONITORS
• CWC calls all Nigerian workers to come out in their millions to vote for good governance at all levels. Our PVCs are NOT for sale. Workers should also assume as both the voters and elections monitors and report election details to the Congress.

26. WAIT AND MAKE SURE THE VOTES COUNT
• The CWC-in-Session reaffirms faith in the Nigeria democratic process in spite of the myriad of teething problems associated with it.

• The CWC further calls on Nigerians, particularly Trade Unions, Civil Society Organisations and Progressive Intellectuals to be prepared to provide leadership for mass support for democracy and defense of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Voters should cast their votes and make sure that the votes truly count.

27. INTERNATIONAL

CUBA MAY DAY INTERNATIONAL BRIGADE
• CWC encourages all affiliates to actively participate in the tenth edition of the international brigade, on the occasion of the 2015 international day of workers in Havana Cuba being organized by the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) from 27 April to 10 May 2015 in the provinces of La Habana, Artemisa and Matanzas – Playa Giron

FORWARD EVER, BACKWARD NEVER!

Comrade Joe Ajaero
President
Nigeria Labour Congress