The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress on Wednesday stormed the premises of the Corporate Affairs Commission CAC, Abuja where they protested anti-labour practices of the management. 

The protest which started early morning disrupted normal activities for the day as most of the staff who turned out for work were prevented from gaining entry into the building by placard-carrying members of the union.   

President of NLC, Ayuba Wabba who led the protest alleged that the Commission's Registrar General, Garba Abubakar stalled staff promotion and brought in environmental experts to fumigate the agency for N35million in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, including contracting someone to paint the Zone 5 annexe office for N25million. 

He also alleged that the Registrar General was constituting himself as an impediment for the staff to unionize, including recently facilitating transfers of a number of staff who were married out of the Commission's head office in Abuja. 

Beyond the picketing exercise, correspondent Nnabuchi Okey Nnabuchi learnt that the real bone of contention in the Corporate Affairs Commission, an agency responsible for registration of business firms in Nigeria is a dichotomy in membership between Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), and Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporation and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC).

Although the National Industrial Court had made efforts to correct the perceived anomalies, it was also learnt that some junior staff members that are supposed to be registered in the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), are found to be listed in the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporation and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC). 

The protest which lasted for several hours almost turned messy as aggrieved staffs who were not pleased with NLC using their vehicles to block the premises made attempts to set the vehicles ablaze. 

It took the intervention of Police personnel stationed around the protesters to bring the situation under control. 

Meanwhile, Director, Public Affairs, CAC, Duke Ukaga gave an account of the misunderstanding in the Commission saying the claim that management has refused to allow staff unionize freely and are being compelled to join a particular labour union was not true. 

His said Commission was being law-abiding by obeying the rules of the National Industrial Court, which gave a ruling in December 2019 and May 2020 stating categorically that the union which most of the staff had joined Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), was a junior staff union and not applicable to senior staff,  in line with the Trade Union Act 2004 and 2005.

He said the Commission was only obeying the court’s judgment since there has been no injunction or stay of execution order on the matter.

But the Nigeria Labour Congress has vowed to sustain the protest for three days until the management of CAC reverses its alleged anti-workers policies.