Organised labour under the auspices of Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JNC), Trade Union Side (TUS) has kicked against moves by the Lagos State House of Assembly to enact a law that will disallow civil servants from becoming directors in the proposed Cooperative Societies Bill 2020.
Cooperative societies’ located in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
A statement by the Lagos State Chairman, JNC, Olusegun Balogun and Secretary, Rasheed Ayanpitan, who condemned the proposed clause that would be inserted in the bill, said such law was aimed at destroying the rich culture on career progression of the public service.
The workers also called the attention of the legislators to the negative effects the proposed bill would have on industrial relation space in Lagos State.
The JNC warned of the demoralising effect such policy would have on competent and qualified officers in the service if they are not allowed to get to the peak of their career.
Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa had stated during the Second Reading of the Cooperative Societies Bill 2020, titled, “A Bill for a Law to Provide for Registration of Cooperative Societies in Lagos State and Connected Matters”, that a technocrat should be used as Director.
He said that they must take the director away from the ministry and must look outside for people with cognate experience that will help them achieve the intentions of the law.
However, the JNC, which viewed the speaker’s recommendations as very disturbing, considering its grave industrial relations implications, said any attempt to stagnate the career of officers in the ministry was unlawful and would not be accepted by the union.
The statement said: “The directorate cadre in the ministries are career officers whose appointments are guided by the Public Service Rules (PSR), civil service commission guidelines on appointment, promotion and discipline as well as the scheme of service.
“We must emphasise that the public service has experienced, educated, and highly skilled personnel to carry out all responsibilities entrusted in the office of the director in the Ministry of Commerce and Cooperative. The government should not desecrate the civil service by bringing directors from outside”.
