1. The National Public Service Negotiating Council is the body statutorily charged with the responsibility for the negotiation of matters affecting the conditions of service of Civil Servants and guiding Government in formulating policies in respect of Industrial Relations.


2. During the period under review, the meetings of the National Public Service Negotiating Councils (Councils 1, II & III), which hitherto was moribund, became resuscitated in August 2001. Since the resuscitation of the NPSNC, subsequent meetings have been held which included the meeting between the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Public Service Industrial Unions in which NLC was mandated by the Unions to continue and complete negotiations in respect of the 25% salary increase which they had started with the Government.


3. Subsequently, the Department ensured that regular meetings of the NPSNC and the JNPSNC are held at least, twice a year as provided in the respective Constitutions of the Councils. These regular meetings have gone a long way to ensure industrial peace in the Service as the meetings were able to dialogue fruitfully on all areas of discord.


4. Arising from the decisions of the NPSNC and JNPSNC the Department:

• Held a meeting with the representatives of Industrial Unions, all the Ministries and Extra-Ministerial Departments involved in delay of payment of staff salaries and the Federal Ministry of Finance to resolve the issue of delays in payment of Staff Salaries especially in respect of the staff working in outstation Offices
• Resolved the problem arising from the payment of rent by staff required to occupy Government quarters because of the nature of their job. An appropriate circular had been issued in this regard
• Is currently trying to resolve the problem of jurisdictional scope of Trade Unions. Meanwhile, both the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) and the National Industrial Court (NIC) have given judgment to the effect that the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has jurisdiction to unionize officers on GL. 07 and above while the Nigeria Civil Service Union is empowered to unionize officers on GL.01 06
• The National Public Service Negotiating Council also made useful contributions to the NCE meeting on issues affecting the Civil Servants on Rent, current high tax regime, establishment of Secretarial Council of Nigeria, etc
• The Department has taken steps to ensure that Industrial Relations Units are established in each Ministry at both the Federal and State levels in order to promote industrial peace

• During the period under review the Establishment and Industrial Relations Department arranged and serviced four meetings of the National Council on Establishments namely 24th Meeting held in Lokoja, Kogi State on Friday, 15th October 1999, the 25th Meeting held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Friday 21st September 2000, and the 27th Meeting held in Lagos, Lagos State on Thursday 24th October 2002. The decisions of the National Council on Establishments arising from its 24th, 25th and 26th Meetings have been approved by the Federal Executive Council while the decisions of the 27th Meeting of NCE have also been forwarded to the Federal Executive Council for approval
• The Department has already taken action in respect of the following decisions of NCE which were taken during the period under review, through issuance of letters, circulars and organizing meetings for the implementation of the decisions:

• Approval of a total of 70 (Seventy) new Schemes of Service
• Approval for the inclusion of ANAN Certificate in the scheme of service as one of the entry qualifications into the Accountant Cadre
• Approval for the granting of Public Servants status with effect from 1st April 1974, to teachers who taught in voluntary Agency schools
• Approval that the previous service of Medical and Para-medical Staff of all voluntary Agency Hospitals taken over by the Government should be regarded as pensionable service
• Approval that holders of the Associate Certificate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria should be placed on entry point of GL.10 in the Civil Service of the Federation
• Approval that all circulars which have service wide implication, especially those dealing with conditions of services emanating from Federal Ministries and Agencies should be cleared with the Office of Head of Service of the Federation before issuance, in order to maintain uniformity
• Approval that officers who succeed in passing the qualifying examination of their regulatory/professional bodies should be allowed to convert to the professional cadre and get to the peak of their career
• Approval that repatriation allowance should be raised to 20% of terminal annual basic salary of the retiree. The allowances have been graduated as enhanced rate per kilometer of travel with effect from 1st January 2002 and appropriate circular issued to that effect
• Approval that all States should comply with the provisions of Decree I of 1999 and the IAP Award on jurisdictional scope of trade unions in the service in order to maintain industrial peace and stability
• Approval that Clerical Officers should not progress beyond GL.07 until they have acquired additional qualifications prescribed in the scheme of service for conversion to higher grades
• Approval that all governments should make adequate budgetary provisions for staff training which should be released and as when due
• Approval for enhanced responsibility allowances for Secretaries and Typists attached to Permanent Secretaries and Directors in order to motivate them for higher output
• Approval that conversion of officers from other cadres to the Administrative Cadre on possession of requisite qualifications should not be allowed beyond GL.10
• Approval for career progression of Teachers teaching in Primary Schools
• Approval that COREN should limit its membership registration to professional engineers only
• Approval that responsibility for payment of salaries/retirement benefits of judicial officers employed by state government should revert to States
• Approval that payment of Primary School Teachers’ terminal benefits should be the responsibility of Local Government Pension Board and that Pension fund should be made a first charge on the consolidated revenue fund
• Approval that only candidates who possess the required qualification as stated in the scheme of service would be eligible for appointment/promotion to the grade of Assistant Executive Officer (GD)
• Approval that Administrative Officers should be appointed on GL. 08 and be advanced automatically to GL. 09 on passing the compulsory civil service examination
• Approval that the extant scheme of service for Civil/Mechanical Engineers should also be applicable to Chemical Engineers
• Approval that States should apply the provisions of Circular No. B. 63165/Vol.IV/1467 of 19th September 1997 to condone or merge the break-in-service which occurred within the respective Public Service from 1st April 1976
• Approval of Ten Thousand Naira (N10,000.00) per annum as Hazard allowance for fire officers/firemen in line with the prevailing rates in the existing circular in order to enhance their performance
• Approval that cheques in respect of deceased pensioners who died two months before the harmonization exercise should be returned to the Headquarters in Abuja for recalculation and subsequent payment to the beneficiaries of the deceased pensioner, in order to prevent fraud/overpayment
• Approval that agreement on salary increases signed with workers by the Federal Government should always be taken to the Federal Executive Council and the National Council of States for ratification in order to engender smooth implementation
• Approval that NCE holders should not be employed in any capacity other than teaching
• Approval that all Circulars on Confirmation/Promotion Test for Clerical Officers Grade II and Technical Assistants Grade I on Salary Grade Level 04 should be harmonized

The Department also organized meetings of the Heads of the Civil Service at both Federal and State levels, in Lokoja, Markudi, and Lagos respectively.

The Department participated in the review and publication of the Public Service Reference Books, namely:

• Public Service Rules
• Financial Regulations
• Schemes of Service
• Federal Establishments Circulars from 1974 - 1999
• Guidelines for Appointment, Promotion and Discipline in the Civil Service
• Civil Service Hand Book
• Guidelines to Administrative Procedure in the Federal Public Service
• Administrative Guidelines Regulating the Relationship between Parastatals/Government Owned Companies and the Government