Following the intervention of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, the local union of workers in the Energy Commission of Nigeria has called off its month-long strike.
The workers were therefore directed to resume work on July 26, 2018 and clear all the barricades to the commission’s premises as well as allow unfettered access to the re-appointed Director General of the Commission, Prof. Eli-Jidere Bala.
At a conciliatory meeting on Thursday at the instance of Ngige, the Union members, who were led to the meeting by the President of the Trade Union Congress, Bobboi Balla Kaigama, agreed to call off the strike in order to enable an equable settlement of all issues in conflict by a Nine-Man Committee set up for the purpose.
The committee is to look into the remote and immediate causes of the problems in the commission, examine the grievances listed by workers and make recommendations to prevent further occurrences.
The meeting also agreed that the recommendations of the committee shall be religiously implemented within the next three months while also agreeing that no staff shall be punished for role in the strike.
Members of the committee are drawn from the Ministry of Labour and Employment (Chairman) Office of the Secretary of the Government to the Federation, Office of the Head of Civil Service, Ministry of Science and Technology, Office of the Auditor General of the Federation, Management of the Energy Commission, Local Union of Workers in the Commission, Trade Union Congress and a member Secretary also from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.