The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has begun a 5-day capacity training for members in Uyo, the Akwa-Ibom capital South-South Nigeria.
The Rain School is an annual 5-day classroom-like training organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC to build the capacity of its members in the areas of Leadership, Gender and Organising.
The Rain School derives its name from the season as it holds during the rainy season and is hosted by southern States in Nigeria known for their almost all year round raining season.
The theme of the 18th NLC Rain School is “Labour, Politics for National Development and Social Justice in Nigeria.”
Participants were drawn from all the affiliate unions of the NLC, with over one hundred of them converging in Uyo for the training.
Addressing the participants, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC, Ayuba Wabba, challenged them to take seriously their five days stay in Uyo so that they will be better equipped to run the race of unionism.
He said that training no doubt will make the members of any union better citizens that will know their rights.
“We believe also in making the workers better citizens that will know their rights and when they know their rights, they will know how to fight for it better.
“That is why we are making sure that we have informed workers all over the country…both in the public and the private sector. Workers crave for Knowledge and workers also crave to be better citizens,” he said.
He said that another round of election is coming in Nigeria with the general election in 2023 saying that part of the objective of the NLC is defending the economic and political rights of workers, because “Everything in our polity requires a political decision…including the minimum wage and the issue of social justice, and even decent wages. All of these required a political decision.
“Therefore it will be out of place for workers to remain indifferent in this particular dispensation and that is why we have out the theme as it is.”
Akwa-Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, represented by the Head of Service of the State, Mr Efiong Essien, sued for peace, unity and development of the country even as the workers carry out the mobilization of its members for whatever course being pursued.
He said that the State government will continue to support workers in building the capacity of its members.
In a goodwill message, the Country Director of the International Labour Organisation ILO, Ms Vanessa Phala, said that the ILO and workers’ organization in Nigeria have had a robust relationship on the issues relating to the Protocols and Conventions of the ILO.
“The ILO has collaborated with tripartite partners in Nigeria and we have achieved quite a number of objectives….”
There were other goodwill messages from sister organisations in Ghana and Kenya.
PIAK
