The Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige has reiterated the determination of the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to finding lasting solution to the incessant labour crisis in the country and nurture sustainable employment relationship devoid of strives and rancor.
Ngige made this assertion recently in his office in Abuja when he inaugurated an eleven man committee to look into the immediate and remote causes of the crisis in the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) and proffer solutions.
According to him, “there have been a lot of labour disputes in Nigeria, which resulted in picketing and some very unruly behavior which is not acceptable to the government”.
Speaking further the Minister affirmed that the Federal government is mindful of the grievances between the employer and employee and is determined to nurture viable employment relationship devoid of strives hence the inauguration of the panel.
In his words “it is my earnest advice that the panel should work without fear or favour, not to try to undo the worker, neither to unduly disadvantage the management because two things are clear in employer/employee relationship, if there is no employer, there will be no employee and vice versa, so both of them must work harmoniously.
The eleven man committee which has the Director, Employment and Wages, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr. Emmanuel Udoh as its Chairman, Director Labour Mrs. Jegbefumeh Amahian as alternate Chair has its members drawn from Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, office of the Head of civil Service of the Federation, Office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Ministry of Science and Technology, Energy Commission of Nigeria, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria ,Auditor General Desk (FML&E) and Department of State Service.(DSS)
The committee which has 4weeks to conclude its report, is charged with the responsibilities of looking into the remote and immediate causes of the crisis, and the grievances expressed by the workers, proffer solutions and make immediate recommendations. The report of the recommendations so tendered will be implemented within 3months of submission as agreed by the Management, Workers and National Union of the Workers.
In his response, the chairman of the committee, Director Employment and Wages, Mr. Emmanuel Udoh thanked the Minister for giving them the privilege to serve and assured the Minister and the workers of their total commitment to the task assigned to them, hoping that it will yield a fruitful result and the possible crisis in ECN will be laid to rest and peace and harmony restored.
