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FEDERAL MINISTRY OF ESTABLISHMENTS AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES AND NIGERIAN UNION OF CIVIL SERVICE TYPISTS, STENOGRAPHIC AND ALLIED STAFF (NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL COURT) HON. JUSTICE (CHIEF) P.A. ATILADE - PRESIDENT CHIEFM.A.BORISADE - MEMBER E.O. OLOWU, ESQ. - MEMBER SUIT NO: NIC/9/93 DATE OF JUDGMENT - 14TH JUNE, 1996 CIVIL SERVICE Trade union - Demands of - Procedure for dealing with by Federal Ministry of Establishment and Management Services. LABOUR LAW Trade union - Demands of - Procedure for dealing with by Federal Ministry of Establishment and Management Services. TRADE UNION LAW Trade union - Demands of - Procedure for dealing with by Federal Ministry of Establishment and Management Services. ISSUE: Whether the Respondent’s claims against the Appellant were made out. FACTS: The Respondent declared a trade dispute against the Appellant for the latter’s refusal to use identified duties to grade secretaries from confidential secretary IV and above; refusal to confirm and grade Chief Typist to GL. 13; and refusal to adopt GL. 16 for confidential secretary IV according to Civil Service Reform. The dispute was referred to the Industrial Arbitration Panel, which duly made its award. The Appellant was dissatisfied with the Panel’s award and appealed to the National Industrial Court. HELD: (Allowing the appeal). On Procedure for dealing with union demands by the Federal Ministry of Establishment and Management Services - The procedure for dealing with union demands by the Federal Ministry of Establishment and Management Services is that when a union comes up with a proposal, that proposal would be discussed with the union and resolved amicably. If the proposal cannot be resolved, it would be referred to the relevant National Negotiating Council. Where the issue has serious implications and therefore requires close scrutiny, the Council would set up a committee that would examine the matter and report back to it to enable it take a decision, It is the decision of the Joint Negotiating Council II, which would form the collective agreement between the parties, that is, the Ministry and the union. The decision of the Council may be referred to the National Council on Establishment for ratification, if necessary, following which an Establishment circular would be issued to give effect to that decision.