The Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Rivers State, Ikechukwu Onyefuru, provided insight into the union’s participation in the ongoing political crisis. In a recent interview with Channels TV, Onyefuru clarified that the involvement stemmed from the impactful actions and inactions of political figures on TUC members.
The TUC held a solidarity march to show support for Governor Sim Fubara, who is at odds with his former political mentor, Nyesom Wike. Onyefuru emphasized that the union’s engagement was due to the effect of the political dynamics on its members. He underscored that the TUC is non-partisan and generally refrains from political involvement, but was compelled to act as the plight of their members was being affected.
One of the particular issues highlighted was the plight of parliamentary workers at the House of Assembly complex, who are TUC members and currently lacking workspaces. Onyefuru expressed concerns over the challenges they face and noted that efforts have commenced to engage the Governor in providing alternative workspaces for affected workers.
“As a labour union, we remain non-partisan; we are not political. We don’t participate in politics. That is our position. We are involved in this political quagmire because the actions and inaction of the political gladiators are impacting on our members. For example, the House of Assembly complex has our parliamentary workers there who belong to the union. As I speak, they don’t have offices to work. They wake up in the morning without where to go. We have started a process to engage His Excellency to provide an alternative work space for this category of people,” Onyefuru stated.
The TUC’s involvement in the Rivers State political crisis reflects a commitment to advocating for the welfare and rights of its members, transcending the traditional scope of labor issues into the realm of broader socio-political dynamics.
