Why AUPCTRE is fighting tyranny and unfair labour practice in CAC

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By Gambo Haruna Jagindi

March 12, 2021

Why AUPCTRE is fighting tyranny and unfair labour practice in CAC

The slogan of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees AUPCTRE is United for progress and social justice

No doubt the current leadership of AUPCTRE is religiously observing the vision and mission of its founding father’s across the organs and branches of the Union

The recent tussle between the Union and Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), management has proven that the Union is struggling purely to emancipate the workers from tyranny and unfair labour practices in the commission.

The Union is not known for loosing any fight in the struggle for social justice, and so any battle AUPCTRE fights, it wins.

AUPCTRE, among other issues has accused CAC management of unilaterally restricting staff vacancies against the recommendations of the committee on the commission’s oganogram, and particularly expressed disgust at the “unjustified barring of certain categories of staff from writing promotion examination”.

It also accused management of stopping all staff loans, frowns at the commission’s hasty, draconian and unilateral decision making leadership style, and denial of 2019 promotion arrears to deserving workers.

It also accused CAC management of stopping salaries of workers even before queries were issued, at the peak of COVID-19 pandemic.

The feud between both parties therefore led to the NLC President using the workers might to picket the CAC headquarters in maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday, Feb. ,24.

The Registrar General (RG), of CAC, Abubakar Garba, was adamant and refused to explore all avenues of dialogue provided by AUPCTRE and NLC

The RG suddenly transformed into a tyrant, clamping down on every worker perceived to be an enemy or against his administration.

He spent millions of naira to transfer 25 staff of the commission to unfavourable locations on punitive grounds and mere perception that they are in solidarity with the labour union.

the CAC workers are currently leaving in fear as the once favourite RG of the workers has turned into a monster overnight.

The RG no doubt, is a beneficiary of the romance and love of workers, who insisted, through AUPCTRE, that government picked someone from within to become the RG because of its belief that having someone from within at the helm of affairs of the commission would move it forward serve the best interest of workers because it is it’s firm belief that such a person will have a better understanding of the system.

It is on this basis that the NLC wrote to the management of CAC and issued 14 days ultimatum stating that if it fails to respond, the organisation will be picketed.

THE BEGINNING OF CAC CRISIS

When eventually staff were allowed to write the exams, management again came up with the excuse that there are no vacancies, and some were even denied the opportunity of writing the exams, bringing about the current agitation by the workers.

The Union wrote to the Ministry of Trade and investment, intimating it of its plan to picket the organisation, and instead of trying to listen and understand the grievances of the workers, the RG, however, decided to provoke the union further by transferring all executives of AUPCTRE to places outside Abuja, including married women, which against labour laws and the ILO convention.

These are purely unfair labour practices, even though the RG claims to be implementing a court judgment against AUPCTRE in Federal Housing Authority (F.H.A.).

The court had ruled that AUPCTRE is a junior staff union and that such a union cannot operate in the CAC.

AUPCTRE, however, responded that it was a declarative statement, and has filed an appeal with the court against that decision.

Again the RG went ahead to take AUPCTRE to court, insisting that the union should not operate in CAC.

The Union countered that, insisting that every worker has a fundamental right to belong to a trade union of choice freely.

It is worthy of note that picketing the CAC has further strengthened the unity between the two labour unions in the commission namely the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporation and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC) and AUPCTRE, which both worked together in the overall interest of workers and the the organisation.

TUC ,SSASCGOC, AUPCTRE and NLC have met and looked into the issues, and have decided to work together to fight the common enemy for the interest of the workers.

The unions have therefore, resolved that the transfers that were made were punitive and those workers have to be brought back. And that every worker has the right to choose the union they want to belong to.

There is a joint letter resolving to give three working days to the registrar by the trade unions, to call the leadership of NLC, TUC and others for a meeting and has been sent to the RG, copied the Minister of Labour and Employment, the Minister Trade and Investment and to the Inspector General of Police.

Labour has agreed that if at the end of the three working days there’s no favourable response, it will be left with no choice other than to mobilise a combined force for another round of picketing”,

CURRENT STATUS OF THE CRISIS

The three days ultimatum jointly given to RG by NLC and TUC lapses since but there was a meeting at the Federal Ministry of Labour at the instance of the SGF

He directed for the meeting between NLC, CAC and the Ministry of Labour. The decisions there favorited AUPCTRE as they directed for the reversal of all decisions after ultimatum was issued to him but he refused

The NLC’s NEC meeting on Minimum Wage protest slowed down the continuation of the picketing as well as the Enugu NGC by AUPCTRE.
However, it is hoped that since both AUPCTRE, NLC and TUC are now freely available, the next line of action will be communicated by the NLC soon.

Gambo Haruna Jagindi is a publisher, labour activist and writes from Abuja.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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