The Nation Newspaper

Category: Labour

  • Lagos partners CIPM on human resource management

    The Lagos State Government has entered into a training collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM)  to improve professionalism and certification of administrative and human resource officers in public service.

    Speaking at the Public Service Staff Development Centre (PSSDC) office in Magodo, Lagos, last week, CIPM Registrar Sunday Adeyemi said the focus on human resource management and CIPM’s decision to enter into the partnership were informed by the desire to deepen the competencies of the workforce.

    He said the institute was determined to collaborate with PSSDC, the training arm of the government, to deepen competencies and create the needed ambience for the full professionalisation of human resource management training across all tiers of the state public service.

    Adeyemi charged participants to remain focused because they had “taken a decision that would enhance their career and self-esteem,” adding that their participation would facilitate their membership of the Institute and thus create a pool of CIPM certified human resource management professionals in the Lagos State public service.

    The PSSDC Director-General, Mrs. Olubunmi Fabamwo, earlier said the Centre is going into the collaboration as part of the resolve of the state government to inculcate professionalism in the people management function of the public service.

    Taking participants down memory lane, Fabamwo noted that the state’s effort to professionalise human resources and administration was part of a holistic public sector reforms programme embarked upon by the State Government in collaboration the State Partnership for Accountability, Responsiveness and Capability (SPARC).

    She added that the approval of the governor for the implementation of professional human resource practice in the public service was a culmination of the people management agenda of the public service reforms in Lagos State.

    Office of Transformation, Creativity and Innovation (OTCI)  Director General, Mr. Toba Otusanya, whose office organised the programme on behalf of the state government, noted that the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom Government has provided support for policy strengthening in the state public service.

     

     

     

  • Unemployment: ‘Nigeria needs cooperative lending model’

    The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) Director-General, Bature Masari, has said until every Nigerian, particularly,  the army of unemployed graduates, are self- employed, the nation is sitting on a time bomb.

    Speaking with reporters in an interview at the weekend in Kaduna, Masari said the situation was equal to a time bomb if the government did not encourage and promote self-employment mechanisms through small and medium enterprises engagement.

    To this end, he called for the adoption of the cooperative lending model as practised in other countries, such as Taiwan and Bangladesh, for lending to small businesses to address lack of collateral.

    He also called for the establishment of a Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) bank.

    Masari said the bank was necessary to provide a dedicated and sustainable funding window for the development of the MSMEs sub-sector towards economic empowerment and job creation.

    “These measures will go a long way in checking the problem of lack of access to fund that is hampering the growth and development of the country’s MSMEs sub-sector. There is no doubt that a well structured MSMEs sub-sector can contribute significantly to employment generation, wealth creation and development in Nigeria,” he said.

    Masari argued that the economic realities facing the country, caused by declining crude oil prices, the foreign exchange crisis and significant capital outflows required a fundamental diversification of the economy.

    “Therefore, a new impetus must be generated to expand the operational horizon of MSMEs in Nigeria towards achieving this objective,” he said.

    He pointed out that if government and other relevant agencies had made loan easily accessible for the people to go into small businesses, there would be little or no cases of Boko Haram, kidnapping and other social vices across the country.

    The SMEDAN boss, however, said with the opening up of offices for the agency in the 36 states, there would be less interest in white collar jobs by unemployed youths because the agency would assist to facilitate and monitor loans acquired by every beneficiary either from Bank of Industry (BoI) or Bank of Agriculture (BoA).

  • NULGE seeks NASS support for local govt autonomy

    NULGE seeks NASS support for local govt autonomy

    The National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has called on the National Assembly to support true federalism that guarantees the autonomy of local government administration in the country.

    NULGE National President, Ibrahim Khaleel Abdulkadir, made this appeal when he led a delegation of the union on a visit to the House of Representatives in Abuja.

    He also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to extend the ongoing fight against corruption in the country to the local government councils, adding that the union was in total support of the fight against corruption.

    He said the main challenges facing NULGE were the continuous encroachment and diversion of local government funds by the state governments. He, however, said the union would continue with the struggle for the emancipation of the LGAs.

    He said the state governments imposed political structures at the council areas that most times negated the principles of democracy, alleging that the state governments manipulated the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) during council elections thereby subverting the will of the people.

    Responding, House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, assured the NULGE members that the House would do everything within its powers to ensure that the council areas were granted autonomy.

    The speaker, who was represented by his deputy, Yussuf Lasun, said local government councils should be free and autonomous as they bridge the gap between government and the people at the grassroots.

    He advised them to engage seasoned legal practitioners to study the Nigerian Constitution so as to explore all available opportunities to put in place the framework that will help to realise their quest.

  • Civil servants reject perm sec’s tenure extension

    Civil servants reject perm sec’s tenure extension

    The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) is miffed over the one-year tenure extension the Federal Government granted to the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Jamila Shu’ara.

    In a statement, ASCSN National President Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Secretary-General Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal said  the extension of the tenure violated Public Service Rules (PSR) 020810, which states: “The compulsory retirement age for grades in the service shall be 60 years, or 35 years of pensionable service whichever is earlier.”

    ASCSN said the PSR emphasised that no officer shall be allowed to remain in service after attaining the retirement age of 60 or 35 years of pensionable service, whichever comes first.

    It said recently, some permanent secretaries were retired on the ground that they were not good enough; yet, Mrs Shu’ara, who was supposed to retire with them, had her tenure extended by one year, adding, “the fact of the matter is that the permanent secretary concerned is neither a petroleum engineer nor an expert in energy matters.”  So what qualifies her for this notorious extension? the union queried.

    Mrs. Shu’ara retired from service on February 17, 2016, seven days later, her service was extended to February 16, 2017 by the Office of the Head of  Civil Service of the Federation (OHSCF).

    The ASCSN regretted that the culture of impunity that characterised the federal administration since 1999 had re-emerged in full force and had become even more brazen.

    “This woman is 60 years of age. She should therefore go. This extension is offensive, vexatious and unacceptable. In the interest of industrial peace and harmony in the civil/public service, this woman should be eased out of the system unless those behind this extension have a hidden agenda somewhere,” the Union insisted.

    ASCSN said if this tenure extension was not reversed, the 36 state governments might be tempted to follow the footsteps of the Federal Government on this ill- advised policy and when that happens, the entire civil services in the country would be thrown into anarchy.

    It added that Mrs. Shu’ara should be disengaged from service since she had attained the retirement age to create room for other permanent secretaries who are floating in the system.

    The Union stressed that if Mrs. Shu’ara is indispensible to the presidency, then, Mr. President had the prerogative to appoint her as his special adviser or even a Minister of the Federal Republic instead of subverting the cherished norms and values of the civil service.

  • BoI set to reduce unemployment

    BoI set to reduce unemployment

    The Bank of Industry (BOI) is poise to reduce the level of unemployment, the  Acting Managing Director Waheed Olagunju has said.

    He said part of the strategies to achieve the goal would be to give grants to viable business ideas that will stimulate growth, noting this was part of the reasons it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)  with 11 training institutes.

    Under a new programme, Youth  Entrepreneurship Support (YES), youths between the ages of 18 and 35 would be supported with grants from a limitless pool of funds to start their businesses.

    He said the need to provide jobs for the youth was the reason for the programme that would be commodity-based industrialisation.

    Areas of comparative advantage, such as agricultural, solid minerals, Information Communication Technology (ICT) and the creative industries, would be focused on.

    On why the scheme did not have a financial ceiling, he said: “For every billion naira spent by BoI, 4000 jobs can be created; value addition is the key. We spent N2million for GEF which is the pilot programme, but for this, all funds at our disposal will be made available as we have the backings of our stakeholders to deepen our service delivery.”

    “We now have an Executive Director for MSME’s which shows government’s  renewed efforts to grow the economy through MSME’s as we realised supporting them will provide more jobs to Nigerians unlike the big chain enterprises that employ less”.

    He said the YES scheme was a BOI initiative designed to address youth unemployment in Nigeria by building the capacity of youths by equipping them with the requisite entrepreneurial knowledge and skills,as well as funding their business plans, which would enable them to be self-employed and manage their own businesses as “participants must have a minimum educational qualification of an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) or its equivalent”.

  • Whose side is labour on?

    The ongoing protest by the Nigerian Labour Union, National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) over the disengagement of some of its members in Ikeja Electric, is taking a negative dimension which is capable of plunging the whole network into darkness and crippling socio-economic activities in the areas covered by the electricity distribution company.
    In the last three days, residents and commercial operations under Ikeja Electric network have been witnessing epileptic power supply and inconsistent services to its valued customers due to the aggressive picketing stance adopted by NUEE and other affiliate unions who have thrown their weight behind them.
    Apart from barricading the entrances to the Head Office, Business Units and Undertakings, the Union members have also prevented the staff from gaining access into these premises thereby rendering them incapable of providing any quality or consistent services to its valued customer. This intrusion has also hampered the purchase of recharge cards and units for both prepaid and post-paid customers of the company.
    All the power facilities including the 14 Transmission Stations and 57 Injection Sub-Stations from where power is distributed to customers under Ikeja Electric network have also been shut down and sealed by the Union members.
    Media reports indicate that the picketing of the company is over recent layoffs. There are several reports paining a disturbing picture of how the Labour union agitators and their touts – yes, they must have been touts – jumped into the company’s premises to enforce total disruption of its operations. How can this happen in a sane environment? Which picketing law allows unionists to display such illegal and condemnable acts in the name of protests?  The promoters of this activity no doubt have self-serving interests, else, how can one justify their actions as being the appropriate “sanction” on the company for staff that were laid off?
    A recent advertorial by Ikeja Electric noted that the company has employed over 600 staff and promoted 74 all in the space of one year. 229 were asked to go for poor performance on the job. To the best of my knowledge, this might just be the only company in the power sector that is hiring on this commendable scale. The company disclosed that it had since hired 41 young graduate engineers to “enhance the sustainability of the business and create a platform for grooming future leaders in the sector.”
    The publication also indicated that in the last one year over 245 unique learning and development interventions had been conducted with over 2000 staff benefitting from the training programs. “A job re-grading exercise was conducted that flattened the previous 17 career levels that typically takes 30 – 32 years to become the CEO of Ikeja Electric to only 9 career levels. This allows for accelerated career growth within the organization.”
    Perhaps the promoters of this illegality against Ikeja Electric need to be reminded that the success of any enterprise is dependent on the quality of the people driving it. Must we remind these rampaging unionists that the public sector days where we never had accountability and performance parameters are long gone?
    Nigeria’s power sector clearly needs an overhaul of its human capital profile to live up to the yearnings and aspirations of over 170 million Nigerians who have come to see darkness as a way of life.
    The privatization exercise was a huge leap for Nigeria in its quest for reforming the sector. This is the time for all Nigerians to rise up against people who have benefitted from the decadence of the past and cannot tell that the game is up. We have witnessed some improvement since privatization, but we still have a long way to go as we are centuries behind due to decades of neglect and corruption in the sector.
    One does not believe that a sincere Labour Union driven by a responsible leadership will embark on such a rudderless mission at the expense of the whole nation.
    There are more civil ways for the Unions to engage a private company which has the authority to tweak its workforce to promote efficiency and service excellence. What would Labour protest over if the company went under? One really has to question the motive of Labour with regards to its recent activities in the power sector. Whose side is Labour on?
    It is paramount for Nigerians to understand that the power sector needs huge investments in human capital to be effectively positioned for modern-day excellence in power generation, transmission and distribution.
    We may be unwittingly given the nod to more darkness if the nation watches on idly to allow this festering new wave of illegality in the name of protests to thrive. Labour has in the past been the bastion of equity and progress. This recent trend looks more like sabotage and must be nipped in the bud. So, whose side is ‘Labour’ on?
     
    Chukwuka is a Lagos Based Physician
  • Sack of 400 workers pits labour against Ikeja Electric

    Sack of 400 workers pits labour against Ikeja Electric

    The Ikeja Electric (IE), a power distribution firm, has incurred the ire of Labour over the sack of 400 workers, including National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) deputy president.

    NUEE, Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) and Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG)  have issued a seven-day ultimatum to the company to recall the workers unconditionally or risk an industrial action, including the shutting down of Egbin Power station and related plants across the country.

    Egbin Power station and IE are owned by Sahara Energy. NUPENG said it had directed its members at the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) “to commence a shutdown of supplies of gas to the thermal stations and plants if the 400 workers were not recalled before the expiration of the ultimatum.”

    Demanding for the recall of the workers, NUPENG said it would join NUEE when the timeline given IE to reinstate them lapses. The union said it would shut down NGC that supplies gas to thermal stations and plants all over the country.

    NUPENG President Mr. Igwe Achese, in a statement, said: “The union has put its members on notice in NGC to commence a shutdown of supplies of gas to the thermal stations and plants if the 400 workers are not called back to work when the seven-day ultimatum expires.”

    He said the 400 workers were sacked without due process and in line with relevant labour laws.

    IE, on February 26, sacked 400 workers, including NUEE Deputy President Mr. Christian Omemeh, allegedly without reason.

    Although the management said the action was a strategic step aimed at repositioning its business for better performance, the leadership of the three unions were obviously not impressed.

    The unions lamented that since the takeover of the company on November 1, 2013, the management  had not drawn  up a credible conditions of service for workers.

    Leaders of the unions said they had demanded from the management the parameters used, and it agreed to invite them to confidentially show them the parameters used and how the assessment was done. The union leaders, however, expressed regret that, no invitation had been extended to the union even as the management, contrary to best labour practices, went ahead to sack another batch of about 400 workers.

    The unions called on the relevant authorities such as the Federal Ministry of Power and Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to call IE to order so that the nation will not be plunged into darkness in the next one week.

    The management of IE has defended the sack. Its  Head, Corporate Communications, Mr. Felix Ofulue, said:  ”The key objectives of the company is to create a high performing organisation, which satisfies the needs of the stakeholders, especially our customers, as we reposition for growth.

    “In the last few months, the electricity distribution company has scaled up the metering programme in order to meet the expectations of our customers and further reduce the agitation on estimated billing.

    “It has also achieved significant strides in human capital development, which is critical to the repositioning programme.”

    Ofulue said as part of the strategic initiative, the company also embarked on a re-engineering exercise focused on aligning its structure with its operating model and optimising human capital capacity for better efficiency.

    “We wish to assure all our customers that the organisation has put in place processes to ensure excellent delivery of quality service to our customers in 2016 and beyond,” he added

    In a related development, the unions have called on the Federal government to quickly address the issue of non-payment of salaries to NUEE members across the country in the last 16 months. NUPENG also called on the Federal Government to intervene in the payment of severance benefits to 5, 000 NUEE members laid off during the last privatisation exercise.

  • Group to train 50,000 youths

    The Forum of South-South Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (FOSSCIMA)  plans to train over 50,000 youths in the region.

    The Southsouth comprises Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers states.

    Fosscima President Billy Gillis-Harry said the forum would train over 50,000 unemployed youths and empower them on Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs).

    The forum will hold its first-ever regional International Trade Fair in Port Harcourt in April.

    “It is a four components trade fair. One, is for campaign of peace and security in the zone. It is  for economic progress of the region and we are going to utilise the trade fair to register over 50,000 unemployed youths across the Southsouth zone and see how best the forum can help in training and empowerment. Lastly, it is the trade fair itself,” he said.

    He regretted that many youths now engage in armed robbery, kidnapping, car snatching, illegal bunkering and fuel sales, and illegal importation of arms, most of which have reached alarming levels in several Nigerian cities.

    In the Southsouth zone especially, Harry bemoaned that youths have formed different gangs engaged in kidnapping, blowing up of oil pipelines, raping, oil bunkering and operation of illegal refineries, among other criminal activities.

    “Hundreds of jobless and poor youths have died from explosions trying to scoop petrol from broken oil pipelines or overturned oil tankers,” he said.

    Harry said over 500 companies from across the country and the West African sub-region would participate at the event which he is optimistic would be one of the best trade fairs in Nigeria.

    According to him,  renowned corporate groups from the European Union will equally grace the event as the foreign firms have duly expressed their readiness to participate in the fair.

    He said: “The 1st South-South International Trade Fair is a multidimensional trade fair which will provide an ideal and perfect business matchmaking platform for manufacturer, importers, service providers, investors and visitors to meet and discuss business opportunities.”

  • Printers urge Buhari to probe paper mills’ privatisation

    The Chartered Institute of Professional Printers  of Nigeria (CIPPON) has urged  President Muhammadu Buhari to re-visit the privatisation of Iwopin Pulp and Papermill Industry in Ogun State and Nigerian  Newsprint  Paper  Manufacturing  Company, (NNPMC) in Oku-Iboku,  Akwa  Ibom  State.

    Also, the group appealed to printers to show understanding with the government over the price of printing papers, which it said was informed by the poor exchange rate of the naira.

    According to the union,NNPMC was acquired by Negris Group in 2008; former President Goodluck Jonathan sold   Iwopin to Beulah Technical Services Company (BETCO) in 2014.

    Speaking at the  presentation  of certificates to participants at a four-day executive print training workshop, the President of CIPPON,  Mr. Wahab Muhammed- LawaL, said  the recent visit of the association’s members to the privatised assets has revealed that the new owners have derailed from the purpose  for which  they  were established.

    He said: “The government should investigate the mode of operation and other agreements entered into during the purported privatisation of Iwopin Pulp and Papermill Industry, because this paper mill industry (Iwopin) had started producing papers before the so-called privatisation, but the institute’s recent visit to Iwopin called for urgent investigation. The institute should be carried along in the investigation.”

  • Fed Govt seeks support for skills development

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has urged the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to support the Federal Government’s vocational skills acquisition programme and promote the trade test certificate issued by the ministry for skills export.

    The minister spoke when he hosted IOM’s Chief of Mission, Ms Enira Krdzalic, who was on a courtesy visit to Nigeria. The minister observed that many skilled youths took the part of irregular migration with its attendant danger due to lack of information.

    He called on IOM to do more in the area of advocacy, publicity and sensitisation through the newly established Migrant Resource Centre under the 10th European Union Development Project.

    “Irregular migration is one of the worst problems because some of these migrants have skills and vocations that can put them on the part of regular migration, but because of the absence of information and knowledge they veer off and undertake the part of irregular migration, which has caused them a lot of hazards,” he said.

    Ngige said the ministry’s partnership with IOM will afford skilled Nigerians the opportunity to work abroad as regular migrants with relevant documents thereby reducing the spate of irregular migration and the danger it posed to the youths.

    Earlier in her remarks, Ms Krdzalic said her organisation is partnering the Ministry of Labour and Employment to promote gainful employment opportunities as government alone cannot generate all the needed jobs.