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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Federal government has called on construction workers in the country to shelve their plans to embark on a warning strike and allow for the resolution of the dispute through dialogue.
Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, made the call in Abuja at a meeting she convened to resolve the ongoing dispute between workers and employers in the construction industry.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the ministry’s Spokesperson, Mr Olajide Oshundun on Wednesday.
According to Oshundun, the workers, under the aegis of National Union of Civil Engineering Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW) and Construction and Civil Engineering Senior Staff Association (CCESSA, had accused their employers, Construction and Civil Engineering Employers Association of Nigeria (CCEEAN) of refusal to implement wage award for workers in the construction industry in line with the agreement between the Federal Government and the organised labour.
Expressing disappointment over refusal of the workers to honour her invitation to a reconciliation meeting, Onyejeocha noted that rejecting government intervention and calling for dialogue was not the right approach to resolving the ongoing dispute.
The Minister stated that as the government works to fulfil promises made to the people, it also expects support from all Nigerians, which include industrial peace and harmony.
She encouraged the employers to continue to engage with the workers, as the government would keep prevailing on them to listen to reason and not proceed on strike, while the government works to resolve the dispute.
Onyejeocha commended the employers for every effort made to improve the welfare and boost the socio-economic circumstances of their workers in the face of the economic challenges in the country.
Earlier, the president of the Construction and Civil Engineering Employers Association of Nigeria, High Chief Vincent Barrah, had said that the welfare of the workers had always been top priority to the Association.
He disclosed that the Association had been doing wage review every two years and had not been slack in providing welfare based on prevailing circumstances, including upward review of transport rate to cushion the effect of the recent economic downturn in the country.
Barrah also noted that they had explained to their workers that the wage award was meant for federal government workers, adding that the workers had refused to cooperate with the employers in resolving the current issues through internal mechanisms.
