By Michael Oche
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and the management of Abuja Continental Hotel are set to meet on October 12 to further dialogue over the unionisation of workers at the hotel.
The meeting follows the intervention of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the FCT Commissioner of Police after TUC and its affiliates picketed the hotel in Abuja over alleged denial of workers’ rights to unionise and engage in collective bargaining.
TUC President, Comrade Festus Osifo, disclosed this on Wednesday while giving an update on the labour centre’s recent protest at the hotel.
Osifo said the intervention by the security authorities had helped move the dispute towards dialogue, adding that the FCT Commissioner of Police had summoned the hotel management and made it clear that workers’ right to unionise must be respected.
He said, “On the protest that was carried out at the Abuja Continental Hotel, yes, we were there and we had a very successful outing. That led us to having interactions with the State Security Service; we had interaction with the DSS.
“We had interaction with the FCT Commissioner of Police, who summoned the management and told them clearly that unionisation is workers’ right, and that no worker should be victimised because he or she chooses to exercise the right to unionisation.”
According to him, the intervention had helped establish the fundamental issue in dispute, with both sides now expected to return to the negotiating table.
“So, that has been clearly established. Currently, a meeting has been fixed for October 12 for us to further that dialogue,” Osifo said.
He expressed optimism that the meeting would resolve the dispute.
“We are expecting that they come to that meeting and all issues be resolved,” he said.
The planned meeting follows the August 24 picketing of the hotel by TUC and its affiliates over allegations that workers were being denied the right to unionise and engage in collective bargaining.
The labour centre had accused the hotel management of anti-labour practices, alleging that previous attempts to resolve the matter through dialogue had failed.
During the protest, TUC General Secretary, Dr Nuhu Toro, said the labour centre had written the hotel management on August 4 seeking discussions on the dispute.
Toro, however, alleged that the management indicated that it would not be available for discussions until the end of November because of ongoing renovation work.
He insisted that workers’ rights could not be put on hold for months, saying the immediate demand of organised labour was for workers to be allowed to freely unionise and engage in collective bargaining.
The August protest attracted the presence of police and DSS personnel, while the unions attempted to block access to the hotel.
The hotel management, however, rejected TUC’s allegations, maintaining that it respected workers’ constitutional right to freedom of association and had not prevented employees from exercising that right.
In a statement at the time, the hotel said it was “not opposed to the right of workers to associate freely,” while expressing concern over the blockade of its access points and its impact on guests, employees and other stakeholders.
The dispute has therefore centred on whether workers are being allowed to freely exercise their right to choose whether to belong to a trade union and engage in collective bargaining.
With the October 12 meeting now fixed, both sides have an opportunity to resolve the matter through dialogue and avoid a further escalation of the dispute.
I think this version is stronger because it doesn’t repeat the same “dialogue/confrontation” point several times at the end. The key development — October 12 meeting after DSS/police intervention — remains the focus throughout.
