FG Moves To Save NLC – Kaduna Dispute, Sets Up committee
In swift move to resolve the raging labour-kaduna government state government impasse, the Federal Government has set up a 10- member bi-partite committee to salvage the situation.
Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Jafaru Sani, who led the delegation jointly with the State Head of Service, Bariatu Mohammed and leadership of NLC led by its President, Ayuba Wabba, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
They promised to settle their dispute and embrace peaceful correlation, by desisting from any further industrial action or victimisation of workers.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, who addressed reporters at the end of the meeting, said the committee, with representatives from the State Government and the NLC, will critically look at the issues under contention and resolve them based on provisions of Section 20 of the Labour Act.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai was absent during the meeting.
The NLC had commenced a five- day warning strike and protest in the state over the sack of workers on Grade level 14, compulsory retirement of workers who have attained the age of 50 years irrespective of their Grade Levels, reduction of Local Government staff strength to 50 in the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs), and the casualisation of workers on Grade Level 1-6.
The MoU reads in part: “The meeting agreed that all the listed issues fall within the ambit of redundancy therefore, it was resolved that the principle of redundancy as stated in section 20 of Labour Act, Cap L 1 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) should apply.
“The meeting also recognised that the current impasse was caused by communication gap between the State Government and NLC occasioned by both the local chapter and even the Kaduna State Government Officials.
“In view of the foregoing, the meeting resolved: To constitute a ten (10) man Bi-partite Committee comprising six (6) representatives of State Government and three (3) officials of the NLC to engage further with the objective of reverting with a work plan on how to integrate the provision of section 20 of the Labour Act CAP L1 LFN 2004 to resolve the impasse between the State Government and the NLC.
“The meeting also resolved that the Committee should have as Chairman, the Head of Service of the Kaduna State Government and assisted by a Deputy National President of the NLC. The Committee is expected to revert with the work plan for peaceful resolution of all issues in contention to the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment by Tuesday 25th May, 2021.
“The work plan is to itemise the structure and sub-structure in the State and Local Government of their activities, time of commencement and envisaged final tenure of the Committee or make recommendations if in its wisdom it thinks the Committee should be a Permanent Standing Committee.
“It was agreed that there shall be no further industrial action on these issues and no worker shall be victimized on account of his or her participation in the industrial action.”
In their opening statements before the meeting went into closed-door section, Ngige said Kaduna and any other state must dialogue with the Organised Labour as enshrined in the International Labour Organisation Conventions, to which Nigeria is a signatory.
He said though labour has a right to go on strike according to the provisions of the law, it should not obstruct the provision of essential services.
