To promote industrial stability in Nigeria, the Federal Government has advocated for the use of social dialogue as a superior alternative dispute settlement tool.
The suggestion was made during the second National Labour Adjudication and Arbitration Forum in Abuja on Tuesday by the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha.
Attendees included representatives of labour unions such as Joe Ajaero of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Taiwo Adeniyi, President of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative
Association (NECA), and Justice Benedict Kanyip, President of the National Industrial Court.
The objective of the gathering was to foster a healthy and stable employer, employee relationship in Nigeria.
Issues around the ongoing negotiations for a new minimum wage also took centre stage.
Last Thursday, the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to fulfil the 16-point agreement with the workers since October 2023.
Protests and industrial actions are a recurring decimal in Nigeria’s labour ecosystem, a development which this forum believe should be discouraged.