By Victor AhiumaYoung

The National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees, NUFBTE, and the Association of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employers, AFBTE, have reached an agreement on fair treatment of workers, especially outsourced and contract staff.

Though details of the agreement are sketchy at the time of this report, it was gathered the agreement is part of the efforts by both the Organised Labour and the employers’ body to promote decent work in line with the International Labour Organization, ILO, standard.

Confirming the agreement, the President of NUFBTE,  Garba Ibrahim, informed that under the agreement, guidelines had been established to address equality in the workplace and ensure that both permanent and contract staff receive the same benefits.

He said: “Overall, the agreement between NUFBTE and employers’ body is aimed at ensuring fair and equitable treatment of all workers, regardless of their employment status, and to uphold the principles of decent work as advocated by the ILO.

 “The guideline will be implemented as soon as it is rectified by the Ministry of Labour as it is duly signed and agreed between the union and the employers’ body. Additionally, the guideline incorporates provisions for pension benefits. Upon retirement, employees will receive their entitlements and continue to collect their pensions. The union reviews its collective bargaining agreements every two years, covering aspects such as dispute resolution, compliance with labour laws, and adherence to national standards. Contract staff are referred to as third-party employees or outsourcing.”

He added that some companies in the food and beverage sector had started implementing palliative measures before the government initiated similar measures.