Is President Olusegun Obasanjo's proposed National Dialogue the way forward for Nigeria?
House Committee Wants Multiple Labour Centres
�Decides on Labour Bill today From Ahamefula Ogbu in Abuja, 12.15.2004
The House of Represen-tatives will today decide the fate of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) when it considers the report of the Hon Obeten Obeten Committee on the Labour Reform Bill, which recommended decentralization of labour in the country. Other highlights of the report include the rejection of the presidential opinion that Labour Minister should register unions and the deletion of strikes as an instrument for resolving labour disputes. Indications that the House would consider the report came to light yesterday when the Deputy Speaker, Hon Austin Opara who presided over the plenary session asked members to attend today's session with copies of their report as they would deliberate and take a position on it. The House committee had stated in its report that: "The Committee after careful study of the various submissions came to the conclusion that all stakeholders believe in the objectives of the reform, that is the democratisation of Trade Unions. The major point of divergence between the parties has to do with the perception and understanding of the purport and meaning of the provisions of section 40 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and section 87 and 98 of the International Labour Organisation's Conventions. "Both the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and the ILO Conventions allow for freedom of association and the right to freely form or join an association as a basic human right, which goes with freedom of expression." On the rejection of the "no strike clause", the Committee said retaining the provision as proposed in the amendment by the President would be against the principles of democracy. It therefore amended section 16A(b), which deals with deductions from members of the unions to read, "Pay any sum so deducted directly to the registered office of the union". To the committee, the amendment to section 30 which sought to confer on the Minister of Labour the responsibility of registering trade unions is not necessary since the Registrar, who is also an employee of the Ministry is also conferred with the same responsibility of registering Trade unions which meet the stipulated guidelines. On the bills deletion of the word, "Central Labour Organisation" from section 7(2)(a), the committee recommended that, "Wherever the words Central Labour Organisation appears in the Principal Act, it shall be deleted forthwith, including all references to Nigerian Labour Organisation". It further recommended that the registration procedures for new unions shall not apply to those which are in existence prior to the coming to force of the amendment Act so that they would continue to exist subject to the compliance with the provisions of the Act. The Committee however recommended a new schedule to section 10 of the Amendment Act which enables representation in collective bargaining and industrial relations activities. "The Committee is of the view that the modifications made on the Executive bill will go a long way in improving Labour relations in the country and ensure the realisation of freedom of association by all workers and unions," it stated. The Senate had earlier passed the Labour Bill and endorsed the decentraliation of labour unions. It also refused to endorse the "No Strike" clause in the bill.
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