THE Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) called-off their planned protest and rally scheduled to hold today, Tuesday September 8, 2020 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital as they reached an agreement with the state government at a meeting held Monday night.
The national leadership of the two labour centres in collaboration with their Rivers State councils had concluded arrangements to storm the state capital with the protest today, a situation which elicited hostile exchanges between NLC and the state government in the last couple of days.
The agreement
However, parties to the dispute reached an agreement at a meeting held at the Executive Council Chambers of Rivers State, Port Harcourt, following the resolution of the contentious issues.
In the agreement, while the state government agreed, among other things, to implement the new national minimum wage, payment of salaries to health workers withheld in 2017 as punishment for embarking on strike that period, and unseal the Rivers State Secretariat of the NLC which was forcibly shut down since February this year by the state government following industrial disputes arising from the above two issues; the NLC and TUC agreed to call-off the planned protest.
The agreement reads:
“Resolutions reached between organized labour and the Rivers State Government
“At the meeting between Organised Labour and the Government of Rivers State, held today, September 2020, at the Executive Council Chambers of Rivers State, Port Harcourt, it was resolved as follows:
“1. Signing of Agreement on Minimum Wage
Parties have agreed to sign the agreement on the implementation of the new national minimum wage and consequential adjustments
“2. Unsealing of NLC Secretariat
The NLC secretariat which was sealed for the correction of structural defects, will immediately be unsealed while the Government continues with the correction work, if any.
“3. Payment of check-off Dues
The Rivers State Government shall immediately restore the remittance of check-off dues and pay all outstanding arrears to the respective Labour Unions.
“4. Payment of outstanding Heal Workers Salaries
Rivers State Government commits to the payment of the salaries withheld from health workers due to the 2017 strike action.
“5. Suspension of planned protest action
Organised Labour agrees to immediately suspend the planned protest scheduled for Tuesday 8th September 2020.
“6. Setting up of Tripartite Committee
Parties to set up a tripartite committee to discuss and resolve all other outstanding issues, including (i) adjustment of pensions in line with the Constitution, and (ii) payment of pension and gratuity.
“7. Parties shall take steps to discontinue all ongoing litigations in relation to the disputed matters.
“8. No worker will be victimized on account of his or her actions and or involvement in the industrial dispute with the Rivers State Government.”
Signatories to the agreement, on behalf of organised labour, include Comrade Emma Ugboaja, General Secretary, NLC; Comrade Musa Lawal, Secretary General, TUC, Comrade (Mrs) Beatrice Itubo, Rivers State Chairperson, NLC; Comrade Austin Jonah, Rivers State Chairperson, TUC, Comrade Chuku Emecheta, chairperson, Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC), Rivers State and Comrade Obi Fortune, Secretary General, TUC, Rivers State Council.
Signatories on behalf of the state government include Dr Tammy W. Danagogo, the Secretary to the Rivers State Government; Rufus N. Godwins, Esq., the State Head of Service, Rivers State; Pastor Paulinus Nsirim, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, and Dr Ayebaesin Jacob Beredugo, Executive Assistant to Governor Wike.
