MANDATE
Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations Department has the core mandate of promoting Industrial Peace and Harmony in the Country. It also has a major mandate to promptly settle Trade Disputes through Mediation & Conciliation. Developing strategies for resolving trade disputes is another core mandate of the Department. The Department is able to achieve its mandate through its Functions and Structure.
FUNCTIONS
The functions of the Department are stated as follows:
- Handling of Trade Disputes and Labour Complaints through Mediation / Conciliation
- Collation, compilation and analysis of Industrial Relations statistics
- Surveillance and Monitoring of Industrial Relations issues
- Rapid response to Industrial Crises nationwide
- Supervising Resident Labour Desks in key Federal Ministries of the Country.
- Development and Implementation of Policies, Guidelines and Programs on Industrial Relations.
- Registration of Trade Unions and auditing of their accounts and administration.
- Representing and defending the Country at international fora on issues relating to Labour rights and alleged violation of International Labour Standards (ACHPR, ILO).
STRUCTURE
The Department is structured in four broad unit areas namely – Trade Union services (TUS), Industrial Relations (IR), Registry of Trade Unions (RTU) and Resident Labour Desk Offices (RLDO).
- TRADE UNION SERVICES (TUS)
The TUS Division provides advice to Trade Unions, their Officers and Members on the conduct of their affairs as provided for in their registered Constitutions, and as required by statutory provisions. The Division also assists in reconciling parties locked in inter- and intra-union disputes. It provides answers to enquiries on jurisdictional scope and recognition of Trade Unions. Activities of the division also include attendance at Trade Union Conferences. The Division is also responsible for proposing amendments to Trade Union laws so as to make them more relevant to contemporary developments.
- INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS (IR)
This division handles Trade Disputes in both the public and private sectors of the economy and ensures the practice of Industrial Relations in accordance with existing labour legislations. The division ensures maintenance of industrial peace & harmony in all states of the Federation and gives professional advice to workers and employers in the world of work in Nigeria. This division is also responsible for Labour Intelligence Monitoring aimed at preventing industrial disputes through the promotion of good will and industrial peace among social partners in the world of work. To achieve this goal, attempts are made to nip problems in the bud or solve them before they reach crisis stage through the Intelligence Monitoring Section based on information gathered from the media and other credible sources.
REGISTRY OF TRADE UNIONS (RTU)
The principal functions of the Registrar of Trade Unions are the registration of Trade Unions, the examination of their financial returns and the alteration of rules of registered Trade Unions.
- RESIDENT LABOUR DESK OFFICES (RLDO)
These offices are set up in Ministries to be able to provide labour assistance to these Ministries to prevent Industrial Crises. These Offices are been manned by Directorate cadre Officers. As of today, we have (8) functional Resident Labour Desk Officers in the following Ministries:
(a) Ministry of Health
(b) Ministry of Education
(c) Ministry of Aviation
(d) Ministry of Transport
(e) Ministry of Petroleum Resources
(f) Ministry of Agriculture
(g) Ministry of Power
(h) Ministry of Science and Technology
ACHIEVEMENTS
From January 2020 to December 2021 about two hundred and forty seven (247) Trade Disputes and Complaints were apprehended by the Honourable Minister, two hundred and fifteen (215) disputes were completely and successfully resolved with 32 disputes pending at various stages of Mediation and Conciliation. Topical among the trade disputed handled by the Department just to mention a few are as follow:
- University Unions Versus the Federal Government of Nigeria (Federal Ministry of Education )
- National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) Versus the Federal Government of Nigeria (Federal Ministry of Health)
- NLC & TUC Versus Federal Government of Nigeria on the removal of Fuel Subsidy and Electricity Tariff
- National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Intra Union Disputes
18 cases were referred to the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) and 6 cases were referred to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN).
During the period under review, there was tremendous achievement in the areas of provision of Industrial Relations Policies, Regulations and Guidelines in various Sectors of the Economy
Below are the Capital projects of the Department that are in the process of being fully implemented to stabilize the Industrial Relations Sector of the Country.