A dispute over worker representation escalated on Monday as employees of the Abuja Continental Hotel publicly rejected a joint picketing exercise staged on their behalf by the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Chanting “No to union” and carrying placards stating, “We did not invite or request union representation. We are comfortable discussing our employment matters directly; TUC does not speak for us,” staff openly distanced themselves from the demonstration.
The industrial action, led primarily by the TUC alongside its affiliate, the Hotel and Personal Services Senior Staff Association, and the NLC’s National Union of Hotels and Personal Services Employees, aimed to address alleged violations of workers’ rights and the denial of collective bargaining.
However, hotel staff expressed frustration at being excluded from the dialogue. Speaking on behalf of the employees, Samuel Esiakpoyere questioned the intervention, noting workers were unaware of any underlying dispute and trusted management to improve conditions. He warned that disrupting operations could harm the business and jeopardise their livelihoods, declaring, “We don’t want the union to kill us in trying to help us.”
Dismissing the protest as unrepresentative, TUC General Secretary Nuhu Toro maintained that intimidated staff members still wished to join the unions. He stated that the labour centres had initially sought peaceful dialogue on 4 August, but management deferred meetings until late November, citing ongoing renovations.
Toro defended the picketing as a legitimate exercise of freedom of association under Section 40 of the Constitution. He confirmed that security agencies had been briefed on the official correspondence, warning that the action would persist until Friday unless management agreed to immediate negotiations.