Organised Labour: Why We Suspended Planned Protest in Rivers

By Ernest Chinwo

Organised labour has said it suspended the planned protest scheduled for Tuesday in Rivers State because of the agreement it reached with the state government after a closed door meeting.

Reading the agreement at the Government House, Port Harcourt, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, said the parties agreed to sign the agreement on the implementation of the new national minimum wage and consequential adjustments.

He announced that the parties also agreed that the state NLC secretariat that was sealed off for the correction of structural defects, would be unsealed, while government continues with correction work, if any.

He also stated that the state government would immediately restore the remittance of check-off dues and pay all outstanding arrears to the respective labour unions.

According to him, government would pay the salaries withheld from health workers due to the 2017 industrial action.

The NLC president also said the parties agreed to set up a tripartite committee to resolve the adjustment of pensions in line with the constitution and payment of pension and gratuity.

The parties, he said, also agreed to take steps to discontinue all on-going litigations in relation to hitherto disputed matters.

Wabba added that no worker would be victimised on account of his or her involvement in the industrial dispute with the state government.

He commended Governor Nyesom Wike for his statesmanship that facilitated the resolution of the dispute.

The Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo; Head of Service, Rufus Godwins; Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim; and Dr. Ayebaesin Beredugo signed on behalf of the Rivers State Government.

The General Secretary, NLC, Emmanuel Ugboaja; Secretary General, TUC, Musa Lawal; Chairman of Rivers State chapter of NLC, Mrs Beatrice Itubo; Chairman of TUC in Rivers State, Austin Jonah; JPSNC, Chuku Emecheta; and Secretary General, TUC, Rivers State, Obi Fortune, signed on behalf of the organised labour.