The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has disclaimed any intervention in the labour crisis rocking the Train 7 project site of Daewoo Engineering and Construction Nigeria Limited (DECN) in Bonny Island, Rivers State.

Regional Chairman of the NLC, South-South, Christopher Onyeka told Kristina Reports in an interview on Wednesday, September 28, 2022 that the NLC has not been formally informed on the thriving issues and as such was not engaged in any negotiation with DECN on behalf of the workers.

“NLC has not been informed formally…NLC has not intervened, NLC is not directly involved in that matter.”

Following a protest by workers of DECN on the NLNG Train 7 project site against illegal deductions from their salaries, imposition of union and illegal dismissal of staff, there have been interventions by way negotiations championed by various stakeholders geared towards saving the situation.

The workers have, in a letter signed by not less than 50 of them to the management of Daewoo E & C Nigeria Limited, indicated their desire to unionize under the National Association of Plant Operators (NAPO) but were rebuffed by the management.

Instead of acceding to their demands, which the workers assert is guaranteed under section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, sanctions were meted out on them by way of arbitrary dismissals by the DECN management, which triggered an industrial crisis leading to the shutdown of the site since Friday, September 2, 2022.

In a telephone chat with Kristina Reports on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, Chris Brown, who claims to be the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Bonny Branch, said he was leading the negotiations between the aggrieved workers and the DECN management.

He confirmed that there was appreciable progress in the negotiations, explaining that the NLC was invited to mediate as the DECN management said they would not discuss with NAPO and the workers also indicated they do not want the National Union of Civil Engineering, Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW) to discuss on their behalf.

“Yes, NLC has a Bonny Branch, and yes, I’m the Chairman of Bonny Branch.”

“I addressed them (workers) and we all agreed that they have to go back to work, since management is willing to talk to them now…”

“Since management have shown concern and want to take their issues seriously, I addressed them and they now went back to work on Tuesday, but from the memo we signed, it was stated that they’ve gone back to work on Monday, the meeting closed late so they resumed work fully on Tuesday.”

But in a swift reaction, the NLC South-South Regional Chairman, Chris Onyeka disclaimed having any structure called Local Government Branch, saying that though it was in the NLC constitution but no local government branch has been activated in any part of the country.

“We don’t have officers in such places like Bonny or Port Harcourt Branch; no, we don’t have, that’s not part of our structure. We don’t have anything like that, No.”

“We have a state structure, you can see that in Rivers State, we have Beatrice Itubo as our chairperson, and she has a retinue of excos that administers the whole thing with her.”

“No, we have not activated it, though we have it in our constitution, that’s what I’m telling you; so, nobody like local government chairman of NLC or Bonny Chairman of NLC, that’s not possible.”