FG orders Labour, Kaduna Govt to return to negotiation table

The Federal Government yesterday ordered both the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Kaduna State Government to return back to the negotiation table to find lasting solution to the ongoing industrial crisis that has engulfed the state since Monday.
The Federal government through the Ministry of Labour and Employment has initiated a reconciliatory meeting yesterday to forestall the crisis from snowballing into nationwide crisis as threatened by the NLC.
The meeting chaired by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige had the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the representatives of the Kaduna State Government in attendance. Though the Kaduna State Governor had boycotted the meeting.
The NLC represented by eight of its leaders was led by the its President, Ayuba Wabba, three deputy presidents, Joe Ajaero, Amechi Asugwuni and Najeem Yasin and the Acting General Secretary, Ismail Bello. Others include three members from the Kaduna state council.
On the part of Kaduna State, the delegation was led by the Head of Service, Bariatu Yusuf Mohammed and the State Commissioner of Local Government, Ja’afaru Ibrahim Sani            The meeting which lasted for over six hours however resolved that everything should return to status quo with the constitution of a 10 member 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 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed at the end of the conciliation meeting by Ayuba Wabba, President, NLC, Najeem Usman Yasin, Deputy President NLC, Head of Service KDSG,                                                      Commissioner for Local Government, KDSG, Mrs Omoabie U. Akpan.
Director Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations and Muoneke Aloy
Director Finance and Accounts on behalf of the Permanent Secretary also stated  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. 
It read, “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 24th May, 2021.
“The work plan is also to itemize 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.
“In conclusion, 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.”
The meeting conveyed following the three days industrial action embarked upon by the NLC from the midnight of Sunday 16th, has deliberated on the following contentious issues as alleged by the NLC: “Retrenchment of workers by the Kaduna State Government, compulsory retirement of workers on Grade Level 14 and above, compulsory retirement of workers who have attained the age of 50 years irrespective of their Grade Levels, reduction of the staff strength of Local Government to 50 in each of the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs), casualization of workers on Grade Level 1-6.
The meeting however noted that after an exhaustive deliberation of all the issues tabled by the NLC, the officials of Kaduna State Government debunked all the five (5) issues listed and ascribed them to political opponents of the State Government. 
“They also said they were only trying to implement the Kaduna State Government Public Service Revitalization and Renewal Programme approved by the State Executive Council since 2016,” the MOU added.
Part of the resolutions reached by the parties also was the agreement 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 recognized 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.