BimbolaOyesola    

Stakeholders across the sector in Nigeria were in Lagos last week for a three-day retreat on the review of the National Labour Bills, to foster more workable laws for the country.

The retreat, from March 2 to 4, 2020, was held under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, in conjunction with social partners – the two national labour centres (Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress), and the employers’ association (Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association).

The retreat declared open by the Minister, Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, and the technical session chaired by the Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, had in attendance the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) as well as the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which provided technical support throughout the exercise.

The retreat primarily was for the purpose of updating Nigeria’s labour laws to conform with international best practices and current realities in the world of work.

According to the communique issued at the end  of the meeting and signed by Keyamo, president of th NLC, Ayuba Wabba, Trade Union Congress, Quadri Olaleye, and the director-general, Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, Dr. Timothy Olawale, the five National Labour Bills considered at the three-day Retreat are: Collective Labour Relations Bill, Labour Standards Bill, Labour Institutions Bill, Occupational Safety and Health Bill and the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (Amendment) Act.

“After intense deliberations on the bills, government and the social partners were able to reach consensus on most of the provisions in the aforementioned bills, and would finalise outstanding issues at a validation meeting in Abuja.

“The final outcome of the exercise would be forwarded to the National Assembly for legislative action,” the communique stated.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, at the opening, stated that the ministry convened the retreat in collaboration with the social partners in fulfilment of Nigeria’s commitment to ensure best practice in Labour Administration and decent work in line with International Labour Standards.

He traced the exercise to August 2001 when the ILO launched the Nigeria Declaration Project (NIDEC) in a bid to promote democracy through fundamental principles and rights at work.

He explained that though the review exercise comprising all the social partners was concluded in 2004 and sent to National Assembly in 2005 for enactment, only one, which was the Employees Compensation Bill out of the five bills was passed in 2010.

The minister lamented that due to time lapse, the spate of industrial unrest in the country and emerging trends Nigeria received numerous queries from the ILO on gaps observed in its extant Labour Laws.

“The situation called for immediate action causing the Ministry to withdraw the bills from the National Assembly. A high-level tripartite stakeholders’ committee on the review of the National Labour Bills was constituted and inaugurated in May 2017 to review and update the provisions of the draft labour bills in line with emergent issues as well as the queries and issues raised by the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) of the ILO. The process was however stalled in 2018 due to Administrative issues,” he said.

He emphasized the retreat became necessary to correct all the ills, assuring that the bills would have speedy passage from the National Assembly and probably be ready before the commencement of International Labour Conference (ILC) in May in Geneva, as the law makers are being carried along with the process.

He said, “I wish to emphasise that modern and responsive labour legislation has significant social and economic benefits for employers and workers. Such legislation that, if well administered, supports a fair, predictable and stable labour market, reduces industrial unrest and enables businesses to grow with confidence and create new and better jobs.

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“The effective implementation or application of such legislation is recognised as one of the best strategies of strengthening Labour Adminstration and promoting decent work world over.”

He noted that the labour sector was a unique one with a uniqueness that brings together representatives of government, employers and workers to jointly shape policies and programmes as well as strengthen their dialogue.

He maintained that strong commitment by all the stakeholders shows the importance the tripartite attributes to developing and implementing sound labour laws aimed at creating a harmonious industrial relations climate.

Similarly, Keyamo, Minister of State, who chaired the review, said the gathering was historic as it would afford the social partners and relevant stakeholders the opportunity to review the National Labour Legislations in line with the current trend, and international best practice.

“It is important to note that the review of these bills, and subsequent enactment into law by the National Assembly would bring sanity to our workplaces, and create conducive industrial relations climate for peaceful coexistence between employees and employers of labour,” he said.

The NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, speaking on the review, noted that for more than a century Nigerian workers and employers have continued to make huge sacrifices and contributions to nation-building, stating that, as partners in progress, workers and employers have not only created employment for the masses, but have sustained the wheels of productivity thus providing opportunities to create more jobs and the needed revenue for government to use to develop the country.

Wabba said as the fate of millions of workers, their families and businesses depend on the recommendations and proposals at the retreat, it is incumbent on the stakeholders to make necessary concessions and sacrifice to protect the interest of workers, advance productivity for employers and create enablers for government to drive socio-economic development.

He said, “We must encourage ourselves as social partners to use the mechanisms, platforms and institutions of social dialogue to build confidence and a sense of tripartism which is espoused by the ILO to mean equal and independent partners seeking solutions to issues of common concern.

“In very specific terms, this labour laws review meeting would meet the expectations of millions of our people if we are able to firm the right of the ordinary worker to adequate compensation in the case of work-related injury, and termination of employment. We would also be demonstrating affinity to the cause of workers and employers if we amend relevant sections in our labour laws to ensure the protection of workers from victimization due to involvement in trade union activities.”

The TUC president, Quadri Olaleye, lamented that Nigeria was lagging behind in the implementation of several ILO conventions in spite of being a signatory to them.

“It’s unfortunate that workers right to organise and some others are still being trampled on. Employers have continued to capitalize on the loophole in our labour laws.

“Government on the other hand have a wrong assessment of the whole thing and often accuse workers of attempt to form a parallel government each time workers are protesting injustice being meted on them,” he said.

ILO’s position

The ILO country director, Dennis Zulu, said the global body was committed to developing and implementing measures to achieve a better future of work for all: “I commend the government of Nigeria on this tripartite review process of the national bills, a process which commenced in 2017.