The Motorcycle Operators Union of Nigeria (MOUN), an affiliate of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), has called on the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to urgently intervene in an escalating dispute in Delta State, warning that failure to act could lead to industrial unrest.
In a letter dated September 18, 2025, and received by the Ministry on September 19, the union’s National President, Comrade Dr. Alhaji Rasak Olusola Sotayo, accused the Secretary to the Delta State Government (SSG) of unlawfully interfering with the union’s operations and obstructing its right to organize and collect statutory check-off dues.
According to the letter, the SSG’s actions have allegedly resulted in “continuous intimidation, illegal detention, and persecution in several courts” of MOUN members, purportedly aided by the police and the Department of State Services (DSS). The union alleged that these actions were influenced by the SSG’s “tribal and business relationship” with the state chairman of the rival Commercial Motorcycle and Tricycle Operators Association (COMTOA).
MOUN maintained that the interference contradicts the Trade Unions Act and violates Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of association, as well as international labour conventions to which Nigeria is a signatory.
The union further referenced a judgment of the National Industrial Court (NICN/PHC/48/2022), which, it said, declared “yellow unions” such as COMTOA registered under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) null and void, reinforcing that only duly registered trade unions under the Trade Unions Act are recognized in labour relations.
MOUN also disclosed that the Delta State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had condemned what it described as the SSG’s “lawless conduct,” aligning with MOUN’s demand for justice.
“We are hereby appealing to you to use your good offices to call the SSG and the security agents involved in this lawlessness to order, allowing us to unionize and collect check-off dues without interference or intimidation,” the letter read in part.
The union urged the Minister of Labour and Employment to act swiftly to prevent further escalation, warning that the situation could trigger industrial unrest and disrupt peace and order in the state’s transport sector.
Copies of the petition were also sent to the National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the DSS, and the Presidents of both the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).