From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja

The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), Trade Union Side (TUS), has pushed for the implementation of ILO Convention 190 of 2019, which focuses on promoting equality and equity for all men and women in the workplace.

JNPSNC also urged the Federal Government to admit its members into the National Council of Establishment (NCE).

These demands are included in the eight-point communique that was released following a recent three-day national workshop that the National Leadership of the JNPSNC jointly convened with the Michael lmoudu National Institute of Labor Studies (MINILS) in Ilorin, Kwara State.

The JNPSNC said there was a need for its members to be included in the NCE to enable workers’ representatives to be part of decision-makers on issues affecting workers in the Public Service.

The document that was jointly signed by the Council’s National Chairman, Comrade Benjamin Anthony, and National Secretary, Comrade Bomoi Mohammed Ibraheem read: “The ILO’s mandate on gender equality is to promote equality and equity between all men and women in the World of Work with the primary goals of promoting opportunities for women and men to obtain decent working conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity. In reaching this goal of gender equality, the JNPSNC calls on all employers of labour to imbibe gender mainstreaming in line with ILO Convention 190 of 2019.

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“The NPSNC-In-Session noted with dismay the deliberate exclusion of JNPSNC as a member of the National Council Establishment (NCE) where decisions on issues affecting workers in the Public Sector are discussed. This deliberate action of NCE amounts to shaving someone’s head behind leading to the rejection of many memoranda emanating from the Council over time. The NCE is therefore called upon to admit the Joint Council to the NCE and as well call on the Joint Council leadership to pursue or sponsor an Act of parliament that will legally confer membership status”

While decrying the struggles retirees go through to receive their benefits, the group also urged the government and labour employers to uphold collective bargaining agreements that were freely agreed into with unions in order to ensure industrial harmony in the workplace.

“The JNPSNC-In-Session is worried that pensioners suffer untold hardship both at Federal and State levels in assessing their pension benefits mostly done to prolonged and endless verification of Pensioners and therefore resolved that harmonisation of pension should always be included during negotiation of National Minimum Wage.” It advised.

The communique finally, challenged stakeholders in the joint Public Service Negotiating Council to live up to expectations in their statutory responsibilities of the council as ordained at formation in 1948 of the Withley Council which is known today as the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council.

“These responsibilities have been jettisoned or abandoned for other Labour technocrats to take over, all state Councils of joint Public Service Negotiating Council should henceforth redouble their efforts in negotiating for better working conditions of work for workers at the state levels across the federation,” It lamented.