The Immediate-past Vice Chairman of the Kwara State Council of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, North Central Nigeria, Comrade Muritala Saheed Olayinka has emerged as the new Chairman of the council.

Olayinka, who was inaugurated alongside other members of the State Administrative Council, SAC of the organised labour, took over the reign of leadership from Comrade Aliyu Issa Ore at the 13th Quadrennial Delegates' Conference of the state council of NLC held at the main hall of the state wing of Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Asa-Dam Road, Ilorin.

Other members of the executive include Vice Chairman (One), Comrade Bashir Oyewo; Vice Chairman (Two), Comrade Iyabo Abdul; Vice Chairman (Three), Comrade Victoria Agboola; Treasurer, Comrade Usman Rasheed; Auditor (One), Comrade Owoeye Olusina; Auditor (Two), Comrade Aminu Shehu and Ex-Officio (One), Comrade Yomi Ibiwoye.

They all emerged unopposed and subsequently affirmed at the conference.

The NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, administered oath of office on the new executive members.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, at the conference, identified collective bargaining as the mainstay in industrial engagements, hence the need for organized labour to explore it whenever issues arise between employers and employees.

AbdulRazaq, who spoke through the state Head of Service, Susan Modupe Oluwole, noted that his administration has always engaged the labour body in the state with the attention accorded workers' welfare related issues.

Noting that an improved cordial relationship with labour is pivotal to a peaceful industrial environment in any democratic setting, the Governor said labour movement remains one of the most paramount facets of the society.

“I must also stress that all over the world, collective bargaining has become the mainstay in industrial engagements, and the principle of sustainability is equally receiving wider acceptability as a win-win resolution between employers of labour and employees in the process of negotiation,” AbdulRazaq added.

Dr Makolo Hassan, who represented the NLC President at the conference, lauded the peaceful transition of power in the state council of the congress and urged the new executive to carry everyone along, warning that success would be elusive when politics of exclusion is allowed.

He thanked members for cooperating with leaders at various levels of the union, which paved the way for smooth transition of leadership.

The Director General, Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, MINILS, Comrade Issa Aremu, observed that development in any nation can be promoted if it was rooted in democratic culture.

He explained that the delegates at the state conference had demonstrated democratic culture with the peaceful election of new leaders, admonishing the political class to take a cue from the organized labour.

Aremu, who was represented by the Head of Trade Union Education Department, Raji Michael applauded the immediate past chairman of NLC, Issa Ore, for scaling the hurdles, maintained that MINILS was proud of his achievements in the last four years.

While recalling the feat recorded during his tenure in spite of obstacles, Ore appreciated the state government for signing collective agreement and Implementation of N30,000 minimum wage and implementation of its consequential adjustment components for workers in the state.

He, however, appealed to the state government to implement N30,000 minimum wage/consequential adjustment to pensioners in the state and local government to keep them abreast with serving workers in the state and local government.

The new state NLC Chairman, Olayinka, who spoke on behalf of other members of the executive, promised to maintain peaceful industrial relationship.

He added that the leadership would not for any reason mortgage the right of workers for personal gain.