Rivers protest: Labour signs pact with Wike

Organised Labour yesterday suspended
its planned protest against Rivers State Government having signed an eight-point agreement reached with the State Government on Monday night.
The meeting held at the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House had Governor Nyesom Wike and the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress ( TUC) in attendance.
At the meeting which lasted almost six hours, the state government agreed to meet some of the demands of the labour while other issues would be addressed by the tripartite committee subsequently formed.
The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, who addressed journalists after the meeting, said the organised labour agreed to resolve contending issues after signing a Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Recall that Rivers government on Sunday said it would be illegal for the NLC to hold a protest following Wabba’s threat that workers would rally in the state against unfair labour treatment.
Wabba who read the communique signed by both parties said that labour has agreed to suspend the planned protest.
He said, ”At the meeting between the organised labour and Rivers government, the parties agreed to sign the agreement on the implementation of the national minimum wage and consequential adjustment.
” The NLC secretariat sealed for correction of structural deficit will immediately be unsealed, while the government continues with correctional work.
”Government shall restore the remittance of check-off dues and pay outstanding arrears to the respective labour union.”
The NLC president further said that the government agreed to commence payment of salaries withheld from health workers because of the 2017 strike.
”Both parties agreed to set up a tripartite committee to discuss and resolve other outstanding issues.
”This include adjustment of pension in line with the constitution and payment of all pension and gratuity.
”Parties shall take steps to discontinue all on-going litigation in relation to the disputed matter,” Wabba said.
The NLC President added that the parties agreed that no worker would be victimised as a resolve of the planned rally.
Addressing the workers in the morning at the NLC Secretariat that was opened by the government as part of the negotiation, Wabba charged them to remain committed and indivisible, noting that it is through unity that their mandates can be achieved.
Secretary to the Rivers State Government
Dr. Tammy Danagogo also confirmed that both parties agreed that the protest be suspended while contending issues are resolved.
Danagogo urged workers in the state to go about their normal businesses without fear.
He gave assurance that all promises by the state government would be kept.
The agreement was co-signed on the part of the state by the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Tammy Danagogo; the State Head of Service, Rufus Godwins; State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim; and the Executive Assistant to the State Governor, Dr. Ayebaesin Beredugo.
While on the labour side, the Secretary-General of the NLC, Emmanuel Ugboaja; Secretary General of TUC, Musa Lawal; State NLC Chairman, Beatrice Itubo; her counterpart in the TUC, Austin Jonah; State TUC Secretary, Obi Fortune; and Chukwu Emecheta of LPSNC of Rivers State Council.
Meanwhile, despite the call off, economic activities were almost paralysed as the airport, was shut down from midnight Monday with no flight coming in until noon.
The General Secretary of National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Ocheme Aba, said the workers have taken position since midnight and only left the Airport when the news filtered in that the protest has been suspended.
The electricity workers equally switched off their services in Rivers State and other neighbouring states, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Cross Rivers.
Deputy President of NLC, who is also the General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Joe Ajaero said the electricity has been switched off midnight as well.
“We were highly mobilised for the protest, our workers were ready and the light cannot be restored suddenly like that in spite of the call off. What we intend is total shut down of the state, the oil workers would have blocked everywhere with their tankers, while no fuel station would have opened,” he said.