Labour has suspended its Tuesday’s planned industrial action for thirty days to compel the government to implement agreements reached between them.
The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress had notified the government of their intention to embark on an indefinite strike if it failed to meet their demand for a salary award for workers and other interventions to cushion the hardship brought about by the removal of fuel subsidy.
At the signing of the agreements that made the unions to shift grounds, the Minister of Labour, Mr. Lalong, said the government was appreciative of the unions’ considerations.
Signing the agreements, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero, warned that the unions would embark on strike if the government reneged on its commitments.
While aligning with his counterpart, the President of the Trade Union Congress, Comrade Festus Osifo, hoped that the government be committed to the implementation of their agreements.
According to the documents signed, the government has agreed to implement the 35,000 Naira salary award to federal civil servants from last month, September, pending when a new national minimum wage is expected to have been signed into law.
Consequently, it is agreed that a minimum wage committee shall be inaugurated within one month from the date of this agreement, while collection of Value Added Tax on Diesel is suspended for six months beginning from this month.
The government has also accepted to vote 100 billion Naira for the provision of high capacity CNG buses for mass transit in the country, while initial 55,000 CNG conversion kits to kick start an auto gas conversion programme will be provided, commencing by November with pilots across 10 campuses nationwide, whose state-of-the-art CNG stations is ongoing nationwide.
It says the government plans to implement various tax incentive measures for private sector and the general public.
On the leadership crises rocking the National Union Road Transport Workers and the purported proscription of Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria, the government has committed to handling Labour matters in line with relevant ILO Conventions and Nigerian Labour Acts, pointing out that resolution of the ongoing impasse is expected by or before October 13.
The meeting agreed that the outstanding salaries and wages of tertiary education workers in federal-owned educational institutions be referred to the Ministry of Labour and Employment for further engagement.
Similarly, the government has made commitment to pay N25,000 per month for three months, starting from next month, to 15 million households, including vulnerable pensioners, and that it will increase its initiatives on subsidised distribution of fertilisers to farmers across the country.
It also agreed that the government should urge State Government, through the National Economic Council and Governors Forum, to implement wage award for their workers, urging that similar consideration be given to local government and private sector workers.
Accordingly, the government has committed to the provision of funds as announced by the President in his recent nationwide broadcast to the Nation for Micro and Small Scale Enterprises.
It is also agreed that a joint visitation will be made to the refineries to ascertain their rehabilitation status, and that all parties are committed to henceforth abide by the dictates of social dialogue in future engagements.
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