The leadership of the National Union of Food Beverages and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) says the food sector and the country’s economy have been facing turbulence in the past few years.

This is just as the former President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, advised all the unions affiliated with both the NLC and its counterpart in the Trade Union Congress to make themselves independent and free from any interference by getting different investments.

The President of NUFBTE, Comrade Garba Ibrahim, who stated this in Abuja at the weekend during the union’s National Executive Council meeting, lamented that the turbulence has impacted negatively on his members nationwide.

Daily Trust reports that the theme of the NEC meeting was, “Strategic Partnerships between unions and Employers: A Potent Catalyst in Unlocking Exponential Growth Opportunities in a Depressed Economy”.

Speaking before the meeting went into a closed-doors, Ibrahim said, “Without mincing words, the past one year has been truly turbulent economically as a country, which has seriously impacted our union and by extension all our members at large.

“Notwithstanding, we have every cause to give glory to God Almighty, who has graciously bestowed us with his heavenly support and guidance, which has strengthened us to diligently forge ahead with all the challenges.”

The labour leader said there was a need for harmonious relationship, mutual respect, understanding, open dialogue and tolerance among the members, adding that efforts have been made to reconcile aggrieved members of the Union.

According to him, in order to consolidate on the reconciliation process of all identified aggressive members, the leadership has continued with the recommendation processes that were embarked upon by the current administration.

He also said that painstaking efforts and prudent management of available financial resources have been the union’s watchword, adding that the union has been able to drastically reduce the huge financial debts, among others.

On his part, the former President of NLC, Wabba, called for a strong, independent unions that would protect workers across the country, stressing that it was important for unions to strive to be strong and independent, not depending on solely on check-off dues rather investing to generate revenue for their unions.

“Only strong and independent unions can protect workers rights. If the union is weak, and not independent, and can not pay their bills, their members would not respect the leadership.

“Therefore, to harness yourselves towards building a stronger union that can defend workers, instead of wasting your resources in all manner of things, you must continue to build on the successes of what our forefathers have built on.

“That is by investing. This is what has been happening globally with trade unions. For example, the Local Government Union in Canada has an investment that is over a trillion dollars. As we speak, they have bought an entire power sector with workers money, which is an investment.

“All over the world, some unions also have the largest hotels, construction companies because they have continued to invest with the workers’ money and knowing that only strong unions can defend workers,” he said.

Wabba, who is also the former global president of the International Trade Union Congress (ITUC), urged unions to ensure that the income of the workers were secured through investments.