Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has assured trade unions of continuous support to ensure industrial harmony when addressing and resolving labour-related matters in the state.
Ambode, who was represented by the Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Dr. Akintola Benson, at a training programme aimed at building capacity for trade union leaders, said he hopes that the union would utilise collective bargaining mechanism to advance the causes of trade unionism for the benefit of the workers of the Lagos State Public Service on the one hand, and the government and people of Lagos State on the other hand.
Speaking on the theme: “Building Capacity: The Path to Constructive Government-Trade Union Collaboration in the Lagos State Public Service, said he believes that whether, and how, unions respond to external and internal challenges is conditioned by organisational capacity.
He observed notwithstanding the availability of the veritable tool, such as collective bargaining, it is suprising that there has been so much breakdown of industrial harmony in the country.
He said Lagos found the answer, noting that the difference between the state model is that they invested in capacity building for trade union leaders, government officials charged with the management of trade union matters and workers generally.
He said this can be understood as the ability to assess opportunities for intervention, anticipate, rather than merely reacting to, changing circumstances, frame coherent policies, and implement these effectively.
He said: “It is not easy to theorise or specify concretely the components and causal dynamics of organisational capacity, but it is obvious to any informed observer that some European trade union movements possess this quality to a far greater degree than others. Perhaps we may define the key elements as structure, intelligence, strategy and efficacy.
“A huge dose of capacity building for social dialogue at all levels of government and education and enlightenment for unions and employers on the rights and limits of all parties involved in industrial relations is a key component in this administration.