MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (M0U)REACHED AT THE END OF THE CONCILIATIONMEETING SCHEDULED BETWEEN THE KADUNA STATE GOVERNMENT AND THE LEADERSHIP OF NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS (NLC) HELD AT THE CONFERENCE ROOM OF THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF LABOURAND EMPLOYMENT ,FEDERAL SECRETARIAT ON THURSDAY 20TH MAY, 2021.
PREAMBLE
Following the three (3) days industrial action embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on the 17th of May, 2021 in Kaduna State, the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment apprehended the industrial dispute by holding an emergency conciliation meeting between the Kaduna State Government (KDSG) and NLC to deliberate on the followingcontentious issues as alleged by the NLC:
1. Retrenchment of workers by the Kaduna State Government.
2. Compulsory Retirement of workers on Grade Level 14 and above.
3. Compulsory Retirement of workers who have attained the age of 50 years irrespective of their Grade Levels.
4. Reduction of the staff strength of Local Government to 50 in each of the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs).
5. Casualization of workers on Grade Level 1-6.
2. After an exhaustive deliberation of all the issues above at the meeting, where the officials of Kaduna State Government debunked all the five (5) issues listed above 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 NLC also explained their position that they got into the dispute following reports by their Kaduna State affiliate Unions and Negotiating Councils.
The meeting thereafter reached the following resolutions:
RESOLUTIONS
A. The meeting agreed that all the listed issues fall within the ambitof 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.
B. 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.
C. In view of the foregoing, the meeting resolved:
I. 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.
II. 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 planfor peaceful resolution of all issues in contention to the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment by Tuesday25th May, 2021.
III. The work plan is 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.
D. 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.
Bariatu Yusuf Mohammed Ayuba Wabba mni
Head of Service KDSG President NLC
Ja’afaru Ibrahim Sani Najeem Usman Y.
Commissioner LG KDSG Deputy President NLC
Mrs Omoabie U. Akpan.
Director Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations.
Muoneke Aloy
Director Finance and Accounts.
For: Permanent Secretary.
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