NLC TUC Port Harcourt refinery
Arise Television presenter Rufai Oseni has strongly criticised the presidents of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, over their public disagreement on workers’ welfare and the leadership of the organised labour movement.
Speaking on Tuesday while reacting to the escalating rift between the two labour leaders, Oseni described both as unworthy of the title of labour leaders. He accused them of abandoning their core responsibility to defend Nigerian workers amid worsening economic hardship.
Oseni lamented that organised labour had lost the unity, coherence and advocacy standards set by previous leaders. He said the movement had become politicised and divided, leaving workers without adequate representation at a time when their purchasing power and disposable income continue to decline.
“For Osifo and Ajaero, both of you should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself, and that’s why you see that Labour has been dead in this administration,” Oseni said.
He recalled that past labour leaders were more united and coordinated in confronting successive governments over policies affecting workers. The current leadership, he argued, has failed to hold the Federal Government accountable for unfulfilled promises.
“Wages cannot really take you anywhere. A lot has happened as regards disposable income of the people, but labour has just been quiet. This government failed on many promises made to labour, and labour has just been quiet about it,” he added.
The latest exchange between Ajaero and Osifo stems from disagreements over the Federal Government’s N70,000 monthly transport allowance approved for public sector workers for six months. The arrangement followed a meeting between government representatives and NLC leaders in Abuja.
The TUC rejected the deal shortly after it was announced, describing it as temporary and inadequate. It insisted that Nigerian workers need a sustainable salary increase rather than a short-term palliative and argued that the NLC could not negotiate on behalf of TUC members without its participation. Osifo called the agreement an aberration, stressing that both labour centres must be involved in negotiations affecting their affiliates.
Ajaero defended the NLC’s role, saying the allowance resulted from collective bargaining after the congress issued an ultimatum and threatened industrial action. He maintained that the NLC had the authority to negotiate independently based on its numerical strength and the principle of majority representation recognised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
The dispute has turned personal. Ajaero accused Osifo of being an “absentee president” who resides in the United States and only returns to Nigeria for meetings. Osifo countered by describing Ajaero as “a disaster to the trade union movement in Nigeria” and questioned his negotiating competence.
Oseni’s intervention highlights growing public frustration with the perceived inactivity of organised labour under the current administration, particularly as workers grapple with the rising cost of living.
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