By Austin Ogwuda
THE State Executive Council (SEC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC Delta State has called on the Delta State government to stop unwarranted harassment and arrest of ‘Keke’ operators in the State.
Rising from a crucial meeting in Asaba on Wednesday, the SEC-in-Session presided over by the State NLC Chairman, Comrade Goodluck Ofobruku, stated this in a communique issued at the end of the meeting primarily summoned to address the issue of the controversial new dress code for Civil Servants in the State.
It stated that “SEC-in-Session unanimously recognised the existence of the Motorcycle (‘Keke’) Operators Union of Nigeria (MOUN) in Delta State and condemned the reported harassment of its members.
“That while Labour does not support lawlessness or recklessness, it insists that the rights of duly recognised Unions must be respected.
We condemned the letter the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) wrote to the Police and the Army asking them not to recognise MOUN which had led to harassment, intimidation and arrest of MOUN members in Delta State.
“SEC-in-Session therefore calls for an immediate halt to harassment of members of the Association, warning that continued intimidation may place Government and Labour on an avoidable collision course”.
On issue of Public Service Dress Code
“SEC-in-Session unanimously agreed that workers should avoid dressing indecently or shabbily in the discharge of their duties.
“NLC calls for a review of the prescribed, specifics on dressing to ensure clarity, fairness and practicality across all cadres of the Service and urge Stakeholders to always consult the leadership of the NLC before reaching resolutions affecting workers in the State.
The communique which was signed by the NLC Secretary, Comrade Enekhawore Acrobat indicated that SEC would be “meeting soon to review the situation of things”.
