By Chinedu Echianu
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) on Monday picketed the Abuja Continental Hotel over alleged unfair labour practices, including what the union described as the denial of workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
Speaking at the entrance of the hotel, TUC General Secretary, Nuhu Toro, said the union had made several attempts to engage the hotel management in dialogue before resorting to the picketing.
Toro said the union had informed security agencies, including the police and the Department of State Services (DSS), of its correspondence with the hotel and efforts to resolve the dispute amicably.
“We had made effort in the spirit of good faith to have a frank discussion with them on what the issues are. But they have vehemently reneged,” he said.
According to him, the union would sustain the picketing throughout the week and review the situation on Friday.
“We will be here for this week, from now until Friday. We will review it on Friday. If they are ready to talk, we will talk,” Toro said.
He, however, stressed that the TUC remained open to negotiations, saying the union was prepared to dialogue with any representative of the hotel management who had the mandate to negotiate in good faith.
“We want a peaceful resolution,” he said.
Addressing questions about some of the hotel workers who were seen displaying placards opposing the picketing, Toro alleged that they were harassed by the management to decline support for the picketing in order not to lose their jobs.
He disclosed that the dispute was being pursued by both Hotel and Personal Services Senior Staff Association (HAPSSA) an affiliate of the TUC and the National Union of Hotels and Personal Services Workers (NUHPSW) affiliated to the Nigeria Labour Congress.
Also speaking, the National President of the Hotel and Personal Services Senior Staff Association, Comrade William Adegbe, alleged that the labour dispute was not limited to the Abuja hotel.
He claimed that similar issues were occurring at the Continental Hotel in Lagos, alleging that workers had been denied access to union representation and proper conditions of service.
According to Adegbe, the situation became more pronounced after the hotel previously known as Sheraton, changed ownership following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“They told their employees that union is a taboo,” he alleged, adding that workers had been denied the opportunity to freely associate with a union.
Adegbe argued that such alleged restrictions violated workers’ constitutional rights, citing Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
He said his association had written several letters to the hotel management seeking a meeting, but its efforts had not yielded results.
Adegbe said the matter was subsequently escalated to the TUC labour centre after the association was allegedly informed that management would not be available for a meeting until November.
He said the unions were protesting to defend the rights of workers and alleged that some employees had been intimidated into not participating in the action.
Adegbe added that workers were allegedly communicating with union officials privately because of concerns about possible repercussions.
The hotel management is yet to react to the issues raised.
