The Senate yesterday moved to whittle down the powers of the federal government in matters of trade dispute by providing for the involvement of independent labour institutions in administration of Labour laws in Nigeria.
This was sequel to the Senate’s approval of the general principles and merits of a bill entitled Labour Institutions Act, which seeks to establish the National Council for Conciliation and Arbitration, National Labour Council, Office of the Registrar of Trade Unions to administer matters of labour and other related matters.
Moving the debate on the bill, leader of the Senate, Victor Ndoma-Egba, noted that the proposed legislation is important because it seeks to reduce the overbearing powers of the government during labour disputes, as a result of which most of them are unresolved.
“The greatest challenge of the present dispute settlement is that the entire process from negotiation, conciliation up to arbitration is domiciled in, activated by and operated by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity. Under Section 9 of the Trade Disputes Act, the minister appoints the chairman, vice-chairman and all members of the industrial arbitration panel. This scenario is totally at variance with best practices in dispute settlement as it is difficult to see how such a body can be impartial where government is party”, he said.
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