The National Labour Commission (NLC) has directed the Divisional Union of the National Identification Authority (NIA) under the Public Services Workers Union (PSWU) to immediately call off its ongoing indefinite strike.
This directive followed a hearing on Thursday, June 26, where both the union and government representatives were engaged on the legality of the industrial action.
In an official statement released Friday, June 27, the NLC ruled that the strike, declared on June 24, was in breach of labour laws.
The NIA Divisional Union had embarked on the strike over delayed payments of their Operational Support Allowance — the only allowance supplementing the basic salaries of NIA staff.
However, the NLC clarified that only national unions are legally permitted to declare such industrial actions.
The Commission described the Divisional Union’s move as unlawful, prompting an admission and apology from the union for the procedural breach.
Despite claims by the union that steps had been initiated to end the strike, the NLC insisted that the action remained in force and thus must be halted immediately.
The Commission has directed all parties to reconvene on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. to report on compliance with its order and to update on the progress of negotiations.