The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) says it is a highly patriotic organisation considering the type of work and advocacy it does but regretted that the same people it fight for were usually used to fight it.
The President of NLC, Mr Joe Ajaero, expressed this view in Abuja when he hosted in his office, Mr James Mike, a civil rights activist, popularly known as “Flagboyng.”
According to him, NLC is more patriotic than the army and police because each times it talks, it is about the people.
Ajaero said that NLC, being the single largest organisation in Africa, would always stand in defence of Nigerians especially against unfavourable policies of the government or the private sector.
“We are there for Nigerians but the people you are talking for have not recovered their consciousness.
“If I make a statement tomorrow, some will tell you he is from this tribe or that he is for party A or B, and at the end of the day the person is hungry.
“A hungry stomach does not know where someone comes from, but we are here for the people.”
According to Ajaero, the NLC’s position on the proposed telecom tariff increment is that there cannot be an increase without the people.
“This is the first time in the history of the labour movement that an increase in tariff will be challenged, be it electricity or telecom tariff, and this is because of the sufferings of Nigerians.
“It is no longer the fight about minimum wage because the current realities do not allow Nigerian workers to enjoy the minimum wage.
“You see people carrying their handsets for one year without recharging them and you see students who rely on data to perform their activities, and their parents are not working.
“Again, when you are writing a CBT exam and your data finishes, you have automatically failed that exam; these are the people the increment will affect most and they are not speaking out.
“Remember, people were saying we compromised when we called off the protest against tariff increase; the same people you fight for will criticise you.
“What is guiding us is the passion and love of the country and we have taken our struggle to a social dimension; it is no longer protest for sacking workers, among others” Ajaero said.
He regretted that the same people NLC fought for were usually used to fight or criticise it.
Earlier, Mike told the NLC president that he was in his office to remind him of the burden placed on him by more than 200 million Nigerians who hoped to see reversal of the government economic policies that could negatively affect them.
“Many parents are selling their property just to feed their children; not selling the property to send the kids to school but to eat because of the harsh economy.
“So, because of this hardship, I have a programme through which I assist the less privileged with food and drinks and I do it without the help of anyone.
“Because of the hardship, I have a flag with an inscription ‘hunger dey’ which I go out with to draw the attention of the government to the hardship Nigerians are going through.
“I also use that medium to send a message to those in government to find a way to assist the less privileged,” Mike said.