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How to avoid ILO sanction over Kaduna, Kogi States’ labour crises, by Agary, Iloh 

By Collins Olayinka, Abuja
12 July 2018   |   3:00 am
The Federal Government must adopt an industrial resolution mechanism to resolve the labour crises in Kaduna and Kogi states to escape the looming sanction from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), labour experts have said.  Reacting to the dragging of Nigeria to the ILO Committee on Application of Standards for flouting ILO conventions 86 and 97…

International Labour Organisation

The Federal Government must adopt an industrial resolution mechanism to resolve the labour crises in Kaduna and Kogi states to escape the looming sanction from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), labour experts have said. 

Reacting to the dragging of Nigeria to the ILO Committee on Application of Standards for flouting ILO conventions 86 and 97 on collective bargaining and freedom of association by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) at the just-concluded International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, Switzerland, a former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr Timiebi Koripamo-Agari urged the Federal Government to open negotiation on the sack of about 40,000 workers in Kaduna as well as alleged killing of a labour leader in Kogi and proscription of unions in the state.

Dr Koripamo-Agary who is also the Executive Director of Gender Rights Advancement and Development (GRAND), cautioned the Federal Government against trivialising ILO sanctions.

Koripamo-Agary who explained that sanctions imposed by the ILO committee on the application on standard can be very effective and could have adverse effects on the Nigerian economy, said ILO sanctions have had effects on many countries across the world. 

She said: “My advise to Nigeria government is to ensure that they influence the governments of Kogi and Kaduna to work with the labour unions in their states to resolve all the issues at stake.

Labour taking the government to the committee is not good for the image of Nigeria.

The committee has employers’ bodies, unions and some of the most powerful governments around the world in it. Members of the committee imposing sanctions on any country are not going to be a pleasant experience.

The premise upon which this is based is that if a government cannot respect the right of workers, how will it protect the rights of the larger populace.”

She dismissed the notion that sanctions from the ILO would not be injurious to the country, saying, “that is to trivialise the issue.

The committee has business people on the committee that can decide to pull their investments away from the country.

Nigeria should not toy with this. It is in its best interest to address the issues that have been raised by labour.”

On his part, another former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr Clement Iloh also urged the Federal Government not to take the threat lightly. 

Dr Iloh observed that Nigeria is duty-bound to implement the ILO conventions it ratified.

He explained: “Nigeria has a duty to ratify the convention is ratified. If ILO is not satisfied with complying with relevant conventions, the ILO can put Nigeria is ‘blacklist list’.

This list will also put a stigma on Nigeria and it can lead the ILO withholding some of its technical assistance, trainings and development programmes to Nigeria.”

Reacting to the report of the NLC to the committee, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige said no Nigerian had been killed on account of labour activism and that the mass sack of workers is receiving government attention.

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