TRADE UNION SERVICES AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT

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:

  1. Handling of Trade Disputes and Labour Complaints through Mediation / Conciliation
  2. Collation, compilation and analysis of Industrial Relations statistics
  3. Surveillance and Monitoring of Industrial Relations issues
  4. Rapid response to Industrial Crises nationwide
  5. Supervising Resident Labour Desks in key Federal Ministries of the Country.
  6. Development and Implementation of Policies, Guidelines and Programs on Industrial Relations.
  7. Registration of Trade Unions and auditing of their accounts and administration.
  8. 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).

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

 

III.    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.

  1. RESIDENT LABOUR DESK OFFICES (RLDO)

These offices are set up in Ministries to be able to provide labour assistance to these Ministries in order to prevent Industrial Crisis. These Offices are been manned by Directorate cadre Officers. As at 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:

  1. University Unions Versus the Federal Government of Nigeria (Federal Ministry of Education )
  2. National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) Versus the Federal Government of Nigeria (Federal Ministry of Health)
  3. NLC & TUC Versus Federal Government of Nigeria on the removal of Fuel Subsidy  and Electricity Tariff
  4. 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 with the aim of stabilizing the Industrial Relations Sector of the Country.

IMPLENTATION REPORT OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS OF THE DEPARTEMENT FOR YEAR 2020

S/N PROJECTS ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT PERCENTAGE OF WORK DONE
1. Establishment of Rapid Response Desks across the 36 states First Inaugural Meeting and

Establishment of some Desk Offices

30%
2. Development and Implementation of a National Code of Conduct for Trade Unions First Stakeholders

Deliberative Meeting

20%
3. Development and Implementation of a Sectorial Guideline for 4 key sectors of the National Economy Second Stakeholders Deliberative Meeting

 

 
HEALTH, EDUCATION, 7%
BANKING & FINANCE 35%
POWER First Deliberative Meeting 5%
4. Development and Implementation of National Policy on Industrial Relations Stakeholders Technical Meeting 45%

 

IMPLENTATION REPORT OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS OF THE DEPARTEMENT FOR YEAR 2021

S/N PROJECTS ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT PERCENTAGE OF WORK DONE
1. Establishment of rapid response Desks across the 36 states Training workshop/

Establishment of the remaining Rapid Response Desks 

60%
2. Development and Implementation of a National Code of Conduct for Trade Unions Second

Stakeholders

Deliberative Meeting

40%
3. Development and Implementation of a Sectorial Guideline for 4 key sectors of the National Economy.  

Third (3rd) Stakeholders Deliberative

Meeting

 
EDUCATION, HEALTH 15%
BANKING & FINANCE 80%
  POWER Second Stakeholders Deliberative Meeting

 

10%
4. Development and Implementation of National Policy on Industrial Relations Stakeholders

Technical Meeting

65%
5. African Human Rights Statutory Meetings  
6. Development of Industrial Relations Surveillance Centers in all 36 states and the FCT 2021 Industrial Relations Surveillance/ Monitoring Exercise 100%

 

GOING FORWARD

A critical appraisal of the industrial relations space reveals increasing incidences of industrial crisis with its attendant man-hour loss and related socio-economic consequences on the overall development of the Country. To remedy this situation, the Department has articulated strategic moves in this regards which include professional training for dispute resolution officers at both states, zonal and federal levels with the facilitation of the full implementation of all the Departmental Capital projects.

 

25th July, 2022