Update

FG constitute 10- man committee on NLC, Kaduna Govt face-off

Published

4 years ago

May 21, 2021

The Federal Government has set up a 10-man committee to resolve the impasse between the Kaduna State Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige said this after a closed door meeting with the NLC and representatives of Kaduna State Government on Thursday in Abuja.

Ngige said that the meeting recognised that the current impasse was caused by communication gap between the two parties.

He said that the meeting resolved to constitute a Bi-partite Committee comprising six representatives of State Government and three officials of the NLC.

”They are 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 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, May 24,” he said.

Ngige added that the work plan is to itemize the structure and sub-structure in the State and Local Government of their activities.

He further said that this also include the time of commencement and envisaged final tenure of the Committee. Or they should make recommendations if in its wisdom it thinks the committee should be a Permanent Standing Committee,” he said.

He, therefore, said that it was agreed that there shall be no further industrial action on these issues.

“No worker shall be victimized on account of his or her participation in the Industrial action,”he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the NLC on Monday embarked on a five-day warning strike over sack of 4000 workers by Kaduna State Government.

NAN also reports that following the Federal Government intervention, the industrail action was called off affter three days.

The NLC grivencances include, alleged retrenchment of workers by the Kaduna State Government, compulsory retirement of workers on Grade Level 14 and above.

Others are compulsory retirement of workers who have attained the age of 50 years irrespective of their Grade Levels.

Others are the reduction of the staff strength of Local Government to 5O in each of the 23 Local Government Areas and the casualisation of workers on Grade Level I-6. (NAN)

Update

Organised Labour Suspends Industrial Action

Published

6 months ago

June 4, 2024

News Editor

NLC and TUC logo

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have suspended their industrial action – over a lack of consensus on a new minimum wage and the hike in electricity tariff – for one week.

The TUC president Festus Osifo confirmed this in Abuja on Tuesday after a joint extraordinary national executive council meeting of the unions.

“A joint NEC meeting of TUC/NLC has approved to relax the industrial action for one week with immediate effect,” Osifo told Channels Television.

A communique will be issued later, the labour chief said.

Both unions downed tools on Monday to register their grievances over the hike in electricity tariff and lack of consensus on a new minimum wage.

The development ground activities in critical sectors of the economy with schools, businesses, hospitals, and airports shut. The national grid was also shut down, throwing the nation into darkness.

Labour’s actions followed the expiration of the May 31 deadline for an agreement on a new minimum wage. They have been locked in negotiations with the Federal Government.

During the failed talks with the government, labour rejected three government offers, the latest being ₦60,000. The TUC and the NLC subsequently pulled out of negotiations, insisting on ₦494,000 as the new minimum wage.

But in a bid to halt the strike, the Federal Government and the labour leaders held an hours-long meeting that dovetailed into the night.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume, the Minister of Labour and Employment (State) and her Information and National Orientation counterpart Mohammed Idris, TUC’s Osifo and the President of the NLC Joe Ajaero were among the persons present at the meeting.

At the end of the parley, though labour said NLC and TUC would meet to decide the next action, they reached some resolutions including the government’s resolve to pay above ₦60,000, and a regular meeting between the parties.

They also resolved “that no worker would be victimized as a result of the industrial action”.

Update

Osun Decides: Counting of Votes Commences

Published

2 years ago

July 16, 2022

News Editor

Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and his main Challenger Ademola Adeleke.

The counting of votes has commenced in the ongoing governorship election in Osun State.

Official ward results showed that the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party are in a tight race.

Though 15 political parties participated in the election, the top contenders are the candidate of APC, Governor Gboyega Oyetola and the candidate of the PDP, Ademola Adeleke.

This is the second time the two candidates would be meeting.

Both Oyetola and Adeleke contested for the Osun governorship seat in 2018, which Oyetola won after a rerun.

After the rerun election which took place in seven units, Oyetola won seven, while Adeleke won one.

Update

PDP Slams INEC’s Decision To Extend Deadline For Party Primaries

Published

2 years ago

May 27, 2022

News Editor

PDP Flags

The Peoples Democratic Party has frowned on INEC’s decision to extend the deadline for party primaries by six days.

PDP spokesperson, Mr Debo Ologungba, said INEC has changed the goalpost in the middle of the game, stressing that certainty of elections is the bedrock of democracy.

He was speaking at the Velodrome of the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja, where the PDP is scheduled to hold its special National Convention on Saturday.

“The consequences will be grave for the country. And of course we have to look at that,” he said.

“The bedrock of democracy is certainty of elections and the fact that the rules are clear to every participant; and you cannot shift the goalpost in the middle of the game.”