The need for Nigeria to amend and streamline its labour laws to meet best global practices for peaceful industrial relations has been stressed.
Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, made the call while granting audience to the state council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) paid him a courtesy visit in Government House, Yenagoa.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, who identified collective bargaining as the nucleus of trade unions, said the Nigerian labour laws should be amended to make collective agreements enforceable as obtainable elsewhere in other climes.
The Deputy Governor applauded the state council of the NLC for making dialogue and collective bargaining as its tools while pressing for workers’ entitlements and benefits.
According to the Deputy Governor, the present administration in Bayelsa State neither believes in what he called ‘locking horns with labour in fight’, nor suppression of the interest of organized labour.
He noted that the prevailing industrial harmony in the state was due to effective cooperation between government and labour to ensure mutual benefit for both parties as well as the overall development of the state.
The Bayelsa Number Two Man, who expressed appreciation to NLC for their understanding assured the state council of government’s continued support for their programmes and events.
Earlier, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Barnabas Simon, said the visit to the Deputy Governor was to introduce the new NLC state executive council, which was inaugurated in April this year.
Comrade Barnabas, who thanked the State Government for rolling out palliatives for local government workers without any agitation or negotiation, appealed to government to extend the laudable gesture to workers in the mainstream civil service.
In a related development, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo has assured the leadership of the Bayelsa State wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) of being carried along in the scheme of things.
Addressing the executives of the NUT during a meeting in Government House, Yenagoa, he assured that the Governor Diri-led administration would make deliberate efforts to tackle challenges confronting teachers and non-teaching staff in the state.
The Deputy Governor, however, strongly condemned the untoward behaviour of some teachers from Ekeremor Local Government Area during a recent restraining programme in Yenagoa and urged teachers to always conduct themselves as role models in society.
On his part, State NUT Chairman, Comrade Richman Otobo, acknowledged the labour friendly disposition of the present administration but appealed for expeditious handling of issues bordering on teachers’ welfare in the state.
The state Secretary of NUT, Mr Johnson Hector and the Chairman, All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools, Bayelsa Chapter, Mr Court Ogboseri Enebibodo, were among those who made contributions at the meeting.
