Jurisdiction Dispute At Training Fund Worries Union

Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC) has expressed concern over labour practices surrounding union jurisdiction at the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).

It warned that the dispute risks creating unnecessary tension within the labour movement.

In a statement signed by its acting general-secretary, Akin Okudero, the association said the matter centered on the role of the the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) and its parent body, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), in relation to staff categorisation at the ITF.

SSASCGOC said ITF management had acted responsibly by maintaining neutrality in union matters affecting officers on Grade Level 07 and above, while continuing to remit dues for eligible junior staff.

The association said existing labour laws and established industrial practice clearly define the scope of unions operating in statutory corporations and government-owned companies.

It noted that senior staff unions and junior staff unions have distinct mandates under Nigeria’s trade union framework, adding that this structure has long guided labour relations in the public sector.

SSASCGOC also criticised attempts to draw other government ministries into the matter, arguing that labour-related issues fall squarely within the remit of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment. It urged labour centres to avoid actions capable of disrupting industrial harmony or undermining productivity in key public institutions.

Okudero said the association believed the matter should be considered settled and called on all parties to respect established boundaries in union organisation, stressing the need to preserve cooperation between labour centres and prevent avoidable disputes.

The statement reads in part, “The Industrial Training Fund, in compliance with existing legal guidance, decided to be neutral by not coercing any officer on grade level 07 to join any union and by refraining from remitting check-off dues to either union in respect of those officers,” Okudero said.

He added, “It is important to state that officers on grade level 07 and above cannot be members of AUPCTRE, and any claim to deductions from such officers is untenable and unsustainable”.

“We commend the management of the Industrial Training Fund for being responsible and law-abiding corporate citizens who have continued to remit check-off dues to AUPCTRE for its legitimate members on Grade Level 06 and below.

“We expect the Nigeria Labour Congress and its affiliates to operate within the ambit of the Constitution and established labour laws, so that this issue can be laid to rest and industrial harmony preserved,” Okudero said.