Federal Workers Suspend Strike

Written by This Day Wednesday, 05 May 2010

Federal workers yesterday agreed to step down their planned  five-day warning strike to make way for more negotiations with government.
The workers are aggrieved over the  lingering salary disparity in the federal public service which favours the Permanent Secretaries and Directors just as they are  pushing for government’s grant of  a 75.3% salary increase.

However, by yesterday evening, the workers at a scheduled meeting of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) the body  caved in to government’s demands to suspend the proposed strike and allow for more negotiations.
In a communique signed by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Stephen Oronsanya, representing government and Comrade O.O. Olaitan for the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, both parties agreed to ensure the conclusion of negotiations latest by two weeks.

The text of the agreement with government read thus: “pursuant to the above , the meeting agreed as follows, that the the negotiating team should be inaugurate on Thursday. May 6ht, 2010. Secondly,  that the the issues in disput between the two parties should be negotiated with a view to reaching an agreement  and thirdly that the negotiation is expected to be concluded within two weeks”

The workers’ representatives had come to the meeting with an intention  to suspend the strike for one week but  later agreed to put it on  hold for two weeks for the negotiations to be concluded.

The Federal Government team led by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Mr Steve Orosanye was said to have objected,  insisting that  the two weeks is too small for the negotiations to be concluded.

While welcoming the workers’ decision to suspend their warning, the Minister of Labour expressed government’s gratitude to the workers to manner in which they conducted themselves during the short period of the strike.

He expressed the believe that the workers would continued to exhibit the same attitude while hoping that both parties will exhibit good faith during negotiations to the end resolve the issue.

Also included in the Government team is  the Minister of Labour and Productivity Emeka Wogu and the Minister of Special Duties,  Captain Ernest Olubolade.

The agrieved workers were said to have demanded that the technical Committee be converted into a negotiating Council to which the government team acceded but the only point of difference was on the day the council would be inaugurated.

While the workers want the negotiating Council inaugurated toady, the Fed Govt team said there are already commitments for today while Wednesday is FEC meeting. They however tentatively agreed to inaugurate the council on Thursday.

THISDAY gathered government is concerned about the cost implication of the workers demands since the provision was not made in this year’s budget. The government is trying to weigh the cost with its available stream of income.

“Although, a supplementary budget could be sent to the National Assembly for the shortfall but the government doesn’t want to bite more than it can chew.”