24th December, 2017
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode at the weekend said industrial harmony between the government and its workers is key to effective service delivery in the state.
The governor spoke at the Retreat for Trade Union leaders in Lagos State in Epe area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, with the theme: “Industrial Harmony and Sustainable Productivity in Lagos State Public Service.”
According to Ambode, who was represented by the Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Dr. Benson Oke, all stakeholders should be reminded that successful industrial relations involved striking a balance of interests.
“From the government’s point of view, industrial harmony is about having the right to manage and the ability to plan for the future so that the public service can continue to be a success, to deliver value to the citizenry, and to keep its officers motivated. From the unions’ point of view, it is all about securing the best possible conditions and living standards for employees.
“Both parties therefore need to strike the right balance and to work at doing so with utmost good faith and all sense of responsibility. I assure you that, under this administration, there will always be a conscientious effort to strike the right balance in favour of all stakeholders,” he said.
The governor charged trade union members to re-dedicate themselves to the advancement of the status and the expansion of the capacity of the Lagos State Public Service.
Ambode stated that there was no disagreement on the proposition that human resource policies and practices were influenced by strategy and structure and, more importantly, by external factors such as trade unions, labour market situation and the legal system.
“In Lagos State, we are proud to note that there is in place, a well thought-out and sequential model on industrial relations practices. The prevailing harmonious relationship between the government of Lagos State and the various trade unions in the Lagos State Public Service is an eloquent testimony to the relevance, importance, competence and strategic indispensability to governance.
“I am therefore hopeful that all stakeholders will take full advantage of this retreat to further deepen the relationship of mutual trust that exists between the government and the unions in Lagos State,” he said.
The governor drew the attention of the unions to the need for all stakeholders in the human resource and industrial relations arm of the Lagos State Public Service not to rest on their oars, stressing that in order to sustain the existing atmosphere of industrial harmony in Lagos and in order to transform such harmony into even greater productivity, all stakeholders should also commit to the promotion of the indispensable value of team work in labour and government relations.
He urged stakeholders to continue to cherish the value of encouraging the making and documentation of critical observations, adding that union members must bore in mind that in mind that the delivery of value to citizens was the fundamental objective of any democratically-elected government. In today’s world, however, the delivered value must be delivered per excellence.