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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Bipartite Committee inaugurated to settle the conflict between the Kaduna State Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in its submissions on Wednesday, proposed that the State government pay off staff of the Local Government, the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and Primary Health Care Board including others who were disengaged, their appropriate benefits.
The interim report, which was submitted to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, by the Chairman of the Committee and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Peter Tarfa, also recommended that staff of the Kaduna State Development Company sacked between 2017 and 2020 be paid their rightful benefits.
Tarfa further suggested a consultation between the Government and Labour in line with the prescription of the Labour Act and other relevant Labour statutes.
“There is a need for mutual respect and confidence building between the social partners especially on issues of Collective Bargaining.” He said.
He emphasized the need for breach in communication between Kaduna State Government and Labour Officials, which according to the committee, was largely responsible for the strike.
On the issue of victimisation, he said the Committee recommended that a letter should be issued, overriding all queries answered by nurses.
Accepting the document from the 10-man Committee, Ngige said the dispute could have been worse if not for the intervention of the Federal Government.
The Minister said those who criticized them for not pre-empting the strike spoke from a standpoint of ignorance, adding that somebody having a doctoral degree in any discipline does not make him an authority to speak on labour matters.
He recalled that there had been no love lost between the Kaduna State Government and NLC since teachers were sacked in the state sometime in 2017.
