National Emergency Management Agency resolves workers’ issues, ends strike

The Management of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Friday resolved its labour issues with members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, NEMA unit, ending its three-day warning strike immediately.

A statement signed by Mr Sani Datti, Head of Media and Public Relations, made this known on Friday in Abuja.

Also, Mr Sa’ad Bello, Chairman, National Association of the Senior Civil Servants in Nigeria, NEMA unit, confirmed the suspension of the strike to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

He said that the labour union and the management of NEMA reached an agreement after an all night meeting which was conveyed by Dr Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment.

According to him, workers across the federation are hereby directed to resume their normal duties with immediate effect.‎

Bello said that an agreement was signed by all the parties and gave a maximum of two weeks for the management to meet all the workers’ demands as contained in the Sept. 26 agreement.

“Among the issues discussed were matters relating to the staff welfare and other areas of misunderstanding which were fully resolved with time line for implementation to be closely monitored by the Minister.

“At the end of the meeting, a joint settlement agreement was signed by both parties with the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment as witness.

“With these developments, the offices of NEMA hitherto closed are expected to reopen for normal operation nationwide on Friday,” Datti and Bello said.

Datti said that those present at the meeting were the Management if NEMA led by Engr. Mustapha Maihaja, Director-General, NEMA and representatives of the national body of the Labour Union represented by the National President of Trade Union Congress.

Others included the Secretary-General of the Association of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, FCT leaders of NLC and Nigeria Civil Service Union.

NAN reports that the meeting was conveyed following the three-day warning strike embarked on by NEMA workers nationwide on Thursday which led to the total shut down of its operations.

The workers were agitating for the payment of allowances, renewal of life assurance policy, capacity building for staff, and redeployment of officers, who were unjustly transferred among others.