New Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abia State, Comrade Eze Idima, has declared that any labour leader not interested in fighting for the welfare of workers has no business occupying that position.

In his maiden interaction with newsmen at the Aba Road NLC Secretariat, Umuahia, the State capital, Idima explained that the change of guards at Abia NLC which saw the baton of leadership passed onto him was precipitated by the report of the panel that considered his petition against the 2018 Delegates Conference which produced Comrade Uchenna Obigwe.

Speaking shortly after holding maiden meetings with the State Administrative Council (SAC) and the State Executive Council (SEC), Idima assured workers that he would prioritize their welfare and would not in any way compromise.

“I think if I am not going to work in the interest of workers, there is no need assuming this position. It will be a waste of time for me to be here for the purposes of compromising with government or anyone.

“The sole aim of being a Congress Chairman or even a Congress leader is for you to work for the interest of your members and that is what I am going to do,” he assured.

“The assurance is that by the grace of God, most of the workers’ demands will be met and I have the assurance of the members of SAC and SEC that we are going to work together. And if we work together, there is no way we will not get what our people are looking forward to get from us,” the former State President of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), added.

Giving the background to his sudden emergence as the new Labour helmsman in Abia, idima said: “Those of you who might have known, it was on February 15 this year that the NEC-in-session took the decision to uphold the report of the panel they set with respect to the (NLC) election that was conducted in 2018.

“During the election, National Executive Council (NEC) made available that any person or group of persons who felt aggrieved about the conduct of the election can complain to NEC.

“Consequently, some of the states, including Abia, complained and a panel was set up, headed by the National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and what you are seeing here today is a product of the panel’s report.

“So, I want to tell you that consequent upon that, that I have assumed office as the Chairperson of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Abia State chapter.”

According to him, the meetings he held with both the SAC and SEC, Abia State chapter, have afforded both sides the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the state of affairs of Abia NLC.

“The meeting was not elaborate. It was for the Congress to receive me and for us to chart the course of where we are going to move in making sure that the welfare of workers will be attended by both the government and of course, for those of us in the private sector.

“May be by next week or there about, we are going to hold another meeting where all industrial unions will inform us of the problems of their industrial unions and we are also going to look at what we have done to make sure that their disputes are solved and the hitches they have been having.

“I do expect that after that meeting, we are going to swing into action, to make sure we communicate government and of course, other employers of labour in this state, that a new leadership has emerged and of course, that our welfare should be over and above every other priority,” he said.

“When government is having signature projects, in road work or things like that, they should equally have a bold signature in the welfare of workers,” he insisted.