The Nation Newspaper

Category: Labour

  • AUATON demands worker-friendly policies

    AUATON demands worker-friendly policies

    The Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON) has called on the Lagos State government  to adopt a worker-friendly policy for the safety of its members and their property.

    In a statement, the Public Relations Officer of the Union, Comrade  Iwindoye Steven, said, after the inauguration  of new branches in Lagos, that the welfare of its members remained a priority to them.

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    He described the inauguration of the 12 new branches in Ikeja  as a momentous milestone, adding that it would further strengthen the union.

    “This remarkable achievement by AUATON Lagos State Council is a testament to our commitment to uplifting the e-hailing industry, fostering professional excellence, and propelling the region towards a brighter future,” he added.

  • Artisans seek overhaul of ITF

    Artisans seek overhaul of ITF

    Artisans, under the auspices of the Association of Nigeria Artisans and Technicians (ASNAT), has called on the Federal Government to overhaul the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), saying it has performed below the expectations of Nigerians.

    Director of Artisans,  ASNAT, Sanusi Gusau lamented that the agency had failed in its  responsibilities as the mover of Nigeria’s micro economy and service providers.

    Gusau said: We, therefore, humbly call upon the Federal Government for the total overhauling of  Industrial Training Fund (ITF) for an effective economic revitalisation and enhanced productivity in the country by improving on small and agro-allied industries thereby creating employment opportunities, increasing our Gross Domestic Products (GDP), addressing the issues of youth restiveness and insecurity in the country.”

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    Also, the Abia State Government has called for a modern curriculum from the ITF to better equip Nigerians with the skills needed in the job market.

    Recently, the Chief of Staff to Governor Alex Otti, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, met with the ITF management at the Government House in Umuahia.

    During their discussions, Pastor Ajagba emphasised the importance of effective skills acquisition programmes in industry and commerce.

    He highlighted the need to cultivate a pool of well-trained talents to satisfy the demands of private and public sector enterprises.

  • ILO experts agree on living wage

    ILO experts agree on living wage

    The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has reached an agreement on a living wage.

    The agreement, reached during a meeting of experts on wage policies, was endorsed by the ILO’s Governing Body.

    The experts agreed that decent wages are central to economic and social development and to advance social justice.

    They also play an essential role in reducing poverty and inequality and ensuring a decent and dignified life.

    According to the experts, the concept of a living wage refers to the wage level that is necessary to afford a decent standard of living for workers and their families, taking into account the country circumstances and calculated for the work performed during the normal working hours.

    The agreement says that the estimation of living wages should follow a number of principles, including the use of evidence-based methodologies and robust data, consultations with workers’ and employers’ organisations, transparency, public availability, and the consideration of regional and local contexts and socio-economic and cultural realities.

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    It added that living wages should be achieved through wage-setting processes that are in line with ILO principles.This includes strengthening social dialogue and collective bargaining and empowering wage-setting institutions.

    The document, outlining details of the living wage agreement, said: “The needs of workers and their families and economic factors are the two pillars of wage-setting processes. Living wages should not be a one-size-fits-all approach and should reflect local or regional differences within countries,” adding that a sustainable strategy to promote living wages “should go beyond the realm of wage-setting mechanisms alone and include a broader consideration of factors”.

    There has been a positive long-term global trend in average wages. Yet, millions of workers worldwide – in both the formal and informal economies – continue to earn very low wages compared to the cost of living and live in poverty. These workers and their families are unable to afford healthy food, decent housing, medical care or schooling for their children.

  • NUFBTE trains officers, others

    NUFBTE trains officers, others

    The National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees(NUFBTE) has trained over 100 of its new officers and members on leadership.

    National President of the union,  Comrade Garba Ibrahim said the training and re-training of its officers and members remained a core vision of its leadership.

    Ibrahim noted that the union’s target is to ensure that the leaders acquire the knowledge needed for their work and upgrade their trade union capacity.

    Ibrahim urged participants to allow the training impact on their job performance and industrial peace and harmony.

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    He said: “I implore you to give this training the best of your mental and physical attention,  unreserved concentration that will enable you assimilate all lectures and training to be delivered.’’

    The president stated that course content was packaged in such a in a way that it would expose participants to the rudiments of trade union practices and avail them the potential to accomplish the benefits that would, ultimately, guarantee industrial peace, harmony and enhance productivity.

    General Secretary, NUFBTE, Comrade Mike Olanrewaju, said the union had not been able to train her members for a long time.

    Henceforth, he pledged, such training would be intensified and, it would, as a matter of priority, it continually be in forefront, especially to create an inclusive and enabling environment for our union leaders at all levels to navigate the economic turbulent and excruciating situation in trade union activism.

  • What to expect from new minimum wage negotiations

    What to expect from new minimum wage negotiations

    Hope rises for workers as the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage holds public hearing for the new minimum wage. TOBA AGBOOLA writes.

    Fireworks are being expected as the public hearings are taking place in six geopolitical zones, including Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Adamawa and Abuja.

     Chaired by Ekpo Nta, also the Chairman, National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, the committee called for the involvement of stakeholders in the negotiations.

     It would recalled that President Bola Tinubu, represented by his deputy, Kashim Shettima, on January 30, this year, inaugurated a 37-member panel on the new minimum wage at the Council Chambers of the State House in Abuja.

     The panel, with membership, which cuts across the Federal and state governments, private sector and organised labour, is saddled with recommending a new national minimum wage for the country on or before April 1, following the expiration of the N30,000 minimum wage.

     The Vice President, during the inauguration, had urged members to “speedily” arrive at a resolution and submit their reports early as the current N30,000 minimum wage expires at the end of the month.

     Though the tripartite committee had met a few times in Abuja, it has yet to deliberate or agree on any figure.

    Divergent proposals

    The hearing has seen labour and some other groups coming up with various proposals that reflect the state of economic decadence and bastardisation of workers’ earnings no thanks to inflation.

      In the Southwest, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded N794,000 as the new national minimum wage for workers in the region’s geopolitical zone.

     The chairperson of the Lagos State chapter of the NLC, Funmi Sessi, during her presentation at the public hearing of the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage in Ikeja, Lagos, said the demand was the decision of members of the union in the region, “reflecting the consensus on the need for a substantial increase in the minimum wage to meet the economic realities faced by workers in the region”.

     According to her, “this call for an increase comes when the cost of living has skyrocketed, pushing many workers into financial hardship.”

     The Northwest leadership of the congress proposal was drastically lower: N485,000.

     Though labour unions in that region, where the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, chaired the hearing, proposed a monthly national minimum wage of N560,000, both the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) branches across the six states in the region recommended the amount.

     But in contrast, the Adamawa and Bauchi State governments suggested N45,000.

      NLC Chairman, Adamawa State, Emmanuel Fashe, presented the joint recommendation, advocating a biennial review of the minimum wage instead of the five-year cycle.

      Suprisingly, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Adamawa State recommended N486,000, considering various family expenditures.

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     Other groups, including the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), aligned with the NLC’s position.

     The hearing addressed diverse recommendations from various stakeholders, with differing amounts proposed, including N200,000 by NCWS and N75,000 by the Muslim Council of Nigeria (MCN).

     In the Northcentral, the NLC chapter in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) suggested a revised minimum wage of N709,000.

     The FCT chapter Chairman of NLC, Dr. Stephen Knabayi, presented the proposal but, in a parallel recommendation, Mr. Amaege Chukwudi, the leader of the TUC, FCT chapter, proposed a monthly minimum wage of N447,000.

     From the Southsouth, the NLC recommended a revised minimum wage of N850,000.

     The NLC and the TUC in the Southeast region recommended N540,000 and N447,000, as the new minimum wage.

     Representing the NLC in the region, Fabian Nwigbo, the Chairman of the NLC, Enugu State Chapter, emphasised that the purchasing power of the 2019 N30,000 minimum wage had been  eroded by inflation.

      Last month, Ajaero, in an interview, had hinted that if the inflation continued, organised labour might push for a new minimum wage of up to N1 million.

     Ajaero said the demand from organised labour would be influenced by the cost of living, which had been increasing since President Tinubu assumed office, notably due to the removal of the fuel subsidy and other policies.

     Explaining further, the congress boss said when labour was contemplating N200,000 (as minimum wage), the exchange rate was about N800/N900 (to a dollar). “As we talk today, the exchange rate is about N1,500 or even more. Those are the issues that determine the demand and it is equally affecting the cost of living. And we have always said that our demand will be based on the cost of living index, ” he stated.

     The TUC had demanded a new minimum wage of N200,000.

     The Director-General, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, the body representing the Organised Private Sector (OPS), equally canvassed the negotiation of a new wage that is commensurate with the realities of the situation.

     Oyerinde said employers would support a realistic minimum wage, noting that within the context of the negotiation, there are other variables beyond inflation rates. “You also look at the ability of businesses to pay, you also look at the economic situation and productivity,”

     he added. While he mentioned that there had been a conversation about the concept of a living wage and the reasons a living wage was desirable, he said globally, there is no framework for arriving at a living wage.

      Although the hearing might have seen multifarious contributions and proposals, stakeholders have expressed that it only shows the beauty of democracy and a good step in the right direction towards arriving at a living wage that will put a smile on workers’ faces.

  • Kokori, a true champion of workers, says NUPENG

    Kokori, a true champion of workers, says NUPENG

    The late former General Secretary, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Comrade Frank Kolori, has been described as a true champion of workers, who led by example.

      In his tribute last weekend at the funeral service for the late labour leader at St James Anglican Church, Oviorie-Ovu, Ethiope East Local Government, Delta State, the National President of NUPENG, Comrade Williams Akporeha, described Kokori as a force, whose dedication to the struggles of the workers, was unmatched, and the pursuit of justice defined his tenure.

    His words: “He fearlessly took on the giants of the industry, proving that the rights of the workers should never be trampled upon. His unwavering valour and his ability to mobilise our workers with his fiery oratory inspired a generation of unionists and gave voice to the voiceless.

     “Through his insightful leadership, Comrade Kokori led the transformation of NUPENG into an organisation that represented the hopes and aspirations of the Nigerian oil and gas workers.

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       “Under his stewardship, NUPENG became a powerhouse, fighting to secure and protect the rights and welfare of workers across the sector. He was a visionary, always at the forefront of advocating fair labour practices and policies that would uplift the lives of every worker in our industry.A great leader and comrade of no ill repute.”

     Akporeha said Kokori was not only a unionist, but also a democrat, an activist, and a patriot. He said he was one of the key figures in the June 12 struggle, which marked a turning point in the nation’s history.

     “He stood up against tyranny, injustice, and oppression, and paid a heavy price for his principles. He endured years of detention, torture, and harassment, but never gave up his hope for a better Nigeria. He inspired us all with his resilience, his optimism, and his faith,” he added.

      Akporeha urged the government to immortalise Kokori by naming a national monument in his memory, adding that it would not be too much to even accord him a post-humous national award.

  • Protest: Shongai Packaging Industry, Union reach agreement

    Protest: Shongai Packaging Industry, Union reach agreement

    The Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (CANMPSSAN) and Shongai Packaging Industry Limited, Sango-Otta, Ogun State have reached an agreement, following a protest by the union over inhuman treatment and casualisation of its members.

     The protest, on Wednesday, spearheaded by the CANMPSSAN and allied unions, was led by the President of CANMPSSAN, Comrade Segun Samson David. It paralysed activities at the company’s office.

     The workers, who gathered at the entrance of the company as early as 7am, sang solidarity songs and blocked the entrance of the company to stop people from going in.

     Addressing the workers, David lamented the alleged inhuman treatment. He said the union responded to complaints by the their members over poor working conditions at the site.

    According to David, the management engaged the workers on ad-hoc basis without conditions of service.

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    He pointed out the cases of two members who were sacked in October 2022 without any compensation. “Our members’ appointments were terminated in October 2022 without paying them their benefits; instead their appointments were converted to contract staff. This has been going on for so long and nothing was done,” David said.

    He said the picketing would continue if the company refused to take action.   To assuage the aggrieved workers, the management of Shogai called for meeting to address the situation. At the end, the following agreements were reached: The two retired staff would be paid gratuity based on their current salary;  the welfare facilities would be improved; the yearly performance appraisal exercise would be concluded and implemented; regularisation of casual workers; accident victims in the organisation would be adequately compensated, among others.

  • How to reduce reform pains, by TUC, others

    How to reduce reform pains, by TUC, others

    The Organised Labour has tasked the Federal Government on solution to the hardship in the country. It, however, cautioned the government to stop adhering to dictates of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. TOBA AGBOOLA writes.

    No doubt, the hunger in the land is making people angry. But, they have a solution to it. They have called on the government to address the situation before it gets out of hand.

    True the prices of commodities have skyrocketed. Even fees for private and public schools have been increased. Despite low usage, electricity bills have gone up astronomically. Medical drugs are out of reach for the poor.

    It would be recalled that the socio-economic downturn led citizens to protest last week and early this week.

    Recently, residents in Niger, Kogi, Osun, and Kano states took over major roads in protest against the high costs of food items.

    Early this week, it was the turn of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC,) as its leadership took to the streets.

    The Trade Union Congress (TUC) said the hardship was unprecedented, blaming it on the political leadership.

    However, the union tasked the Federal Government on the solution to the problem, even as it caution the Federal Government to stop adhering to dictates of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Work Bank, but rather develop home-grown solutions to address the country’s economic woes.

    On why the TUC decided not to go on strike at the end of the 14-day ultimatum like its counterpart, the TUC President, Comrade Festus Osifo, said it reviewed the implementation of the agreement with the government and found out that it had shown some level of seriousness in executing the agreement.

    The union identified the naira devaluation as the major cause of the problem, adding that Nigeria is largely import dependent.

    The union, however, suggested ways to ameliorate the pains in the land, bring succour to the people and put the country on the path to sound economic recovery.

    Osifo said the Federal Government should go back to the actual value of naira, which it said used to revolve around N450 and N650 to a dollar.

    As part of immediate interventions to arrest the worsening food crisis, the trade union suggested that the Federal Government should embark on emergency food imports to fill the gap in supply.

    In view of this, the TUC stated that it had resolved to engage further with the government based on the 15- point solutions it had proffered rather than join the protest being called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

    Addressing reporters in Abuja recently, Osifo listed steps taken by the government to include the payment of four-month wage award, visitations to the refineries, among others.

    He said based on the progress attested to during an inspection of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, the TUC was confident that the old refinery in Port Harcourt could resume petrol production next month, while the others would be ready in about six months.

    On the continued fall in the value of Naira with the resultant inflationary trend, Osifo said the country’s currency appeared to have been undervalued by the floating of the naira by the Central Bank Nigeria (CBN).

    He said the monetary policy managers should revalue the currency.

    He said: “Allowing the official exchange rate to devalue alongside the black market rate that does not follow market fundamentals is not the right approach to accomplish this.

    “Local and international financial institutions  determined the true value to be between N580 and N650 to a dollar in June/July 2023.

    “The Federal Government needs to work towards achieving this realistic rate. Once its achieved therefore, the exchange rate will then be adjusted on an annual basis using factor K that will be determined by US/NGN inflation figures.

    “This adjustment can also be made every six months to avoid sudden shock. It does not make sense economically to allow the naira to float freely against an international currency that is in acute shortage of supply due to excessive demand.

     “With this in place, investors could forecast the returns on their investments with some degree of certainty. This stability will result in the restoration of confidence in the market and foreign direct investors will monitor this stability over time before eventually returning to the country in droves,” he added.

    The TUC chief said the measure could be easily implemented by the apex bank, who are the managers of our monetary policy, by directing banks to reject dollar bids above the threshold of N580/650.

    “This was done between July and October 2023 when the exchange rate stabilised around N790 to a dollar. The current surge in demand of USD is not just from manufacturers or importers of goods but also from students studying abroad, individuals engaging in medical tourism, those earning cash illicitly; as it has been noticed that there are a lot of corruptly earned cash chasing the Naira and they are willing to buy it at any price,” he said.

    To stop the inflation, the TUC said the exchange rate used by Customs for clearing machinery, spare parts and other items that feed into manufacturing lines and processes, farm equipment, should be revised to between N580 and N650 to a dollar or at best a tax waiver should be given to some of these imported goods that are critical to the manufacturing and agricultural processes.

    Other measures proposed by the TUC include the clamp down on speculative trading in the foreign exchange market and a policy to compel government agencies to patronise made-in- Nigeria products.

    In addition, TUC said the Federal Government should shore up production of more crude oil, by curbing its theft and increasing investment in enhancing oil and gas production.

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    The Director-General, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), Mr Adewale-Smart Ayorinde, said the reforms of the Federal Government to boost investment and strengthen fiscal policy amid slowing growth, and the tightest financial conditions in decades, could turn Nigeria’s tide.

    He said: “To spark economic booms, the Federal Government needs to implement comprehensive policy packages to improve fiscal and monetary frameworks, expand cross-border trade and financial flows, improve the investment climate, and strengthen the quality of institutions.

    “That would be is hard work, but doing it will help mitigate the projected slowdown in potential growth of the nation’s economy in the rest of this decade.”

    He noted that the economy could reap an economic windfall when the Federal Government accelerated per capita investment growth to at least four per cent and sustain it for the next six years.

    Proposed Solution

    •Temporary importation of food from abroad

    •Rehabilitation of the new Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries

    •Curbing insecurity for farmers to return to farm

    •Curbing crude oil theft and increasing investment in enhancing oil and gas production

    •Effectively supervising the activities of banks

    •Strengthening the Economic Management Team

    •Time to stop following the dictate of IMF and World Bank

    •Determination of real value of naira

    •Patronising made-in-Nigeria goods

    •Clamp down on speculative trading in the foreign exchange market

    •Come up with new minimum wage

    •Determination of real value of naira

  • ‘No crisis in NUPENG, PTD’

    ‘No crisis in NUPENG, PTD’

    The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has declared that there is no crisis  in the national leadership of the association or in that of its arm, Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch.

    NUPENG’s General Secretary, Comrade Olawale Afolabi, made the clarification in a letter to the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, in  response to the latter’s  report, urging NUPENG and PTD to settle their rift.

    Recently, the management of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Limited had called on the feuding NUPENG and the PTD leaders to settle.

    Afolabi stated that NUPENG is an indivisible trade union under Comrade Prince Williams Akporeha as the National President and Comrade Afolabi Olawale as the General Secretary.

    Afolabi said: “We write in response to certain media publication on your response to a purported letter from a lawyer from Edoga Enenche and Co. alleging that there is some sort of “division in the union” and we want to firmly and strongly deny and denounce such situation in our union.

    “The NUPENG is one and indivisible trade union organisation underthe leadership of Comrade Prince Williams Akporeha as the National President and Comrade Afolabi Olawale as the General Secretary of the Union.

    “For the records, the NUPENG is a credible and responsible trade union organisation duly registered and recognised under Trade Union Act (As Amended) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with over 120 branches across the country and out of which the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch s one of them.

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    “Further for the records, the National Delegates’ Conference for the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the union was successfully convened and conducted on the 31st of October, 2023 at the University of lbadan Conference Centre in compliance with the Constitution of the union and By laws of the PTD with Six 680 delegates from 170 units of the branch in attendance.

    “These delegates freely and peacefully elected the national leadership of the PTD branch of NUPENG under the chairmanship of Comrade Augustine Egbon.’’

    Afolabi said delegates’ conference was attended and certified by Mr. Amos Falonipe, the Trade Union Registrar of Nigeria from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

    He said the contents of  the purported letter is not only mischievous, but also unfounded,inciting and capable of causing industrial crisis in the Oil and Gas industry most

    especially in the newly commissioned Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Limited.

  • PENGASSAN women group harps on gender equality

    PENGASSAN women group harps on gender equality

    The Women Wing of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has stressed the importance of gender equality.

    Speaking with The Nation, the Deputy General Secretary of PENGASSAN, Comrade Ngozi Okagbue, said the imperativeness of pressing for progress could not be over-emphasised because despite the progress that women had made in the fight for parity and social equity, there were still a lot of areas to be covered.

    “More than ever, there is a call to action to press forward and progress to be made in gender parity; a strong call to press for progress. A strong call to motivate and unite friends, colleagues and the communities to think, act and be gender inclusive,’’ she added.

    Okagbue stressed the importance of women in society, saying the PENGASSAN women group advocates that women hold elected positions at the federal, state and council levels, in addition to the oil and gas sector.

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    She called for the inclusion of more women at decision-making levels for national development.

    Also, Okagbue urged the government to address the socio-economic situation, adding that this could cause chaos in the country.

    “The truth is that there is real hunger in the land, and the hardship is becoming unbearable. Nigerians are choking and can barely breathe. The government needs to address the situationurgently,” she said.