The Nation Newspaper

Category: Labour

  • Group: Industrial peace key to productivity

    Industrial peace and harmony are needed to enhance organisational productivity, economic progress and nation building, the Chemical and Non Metallic Products Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (CANMPSSAN) has said.

    At the annual National Management/Industrial Relations Workshop of the group in Ilorin, Kwara State, with the theme:  Improving productivity and work ethics in the chemical sector to sustain Industrial peace and harmony, participants said it is the collective responsibility of employers and employees  to maintain peace and a harmonious relationship for improved productivity to sustain business growth and profitability.

    The workshop was held at the weekend.

    In a communique issued at the end of the workshop and endorsed by the union’s President, Dr. Abdul-Gafar Mohammed and  General Secretary Sunday Babalola,  participants who cut across workers, captains of industries and government officials, agreed that workplace conflicts have causative factors, which must be identified and constructively managed.

    Mohammed said: “Organisations’ purposes do not get achieved where productivity falls, and workers’ quests for better conditions are unattainable where organisations are unproductive. Employees are organisations’ most productive assets and must be regarded as partners, managed to understand the aligning nature of personal aspirations with organisational purpose.”

    While charging employees to demonstrate their partnership with the employers in matters that relate to business sustenance, he called on employers to show commitment to the welfare of employees at all levels.

    However, where conflicts of interest arise in the course of employers/employees relationship, Mohammed said resolution of such conflicts should be pursued with understanding of getting a win/win situation for both parties.

    “Effective communication/feedback between employers and employees is imperative as poor communication could be disastrous in business, employment, labour and social relations,” he said.

    Mohammed also noted that safety at the workplace is the responsibility of all, stressing that employers of labour should ensure the provision of safety wears and safe work environment as accident in the workplace affects productivity.

    He said casualisation, outsourcing and contract staffing, are different terms used by employers in managing labour cost. He, however, said it is worrisome due to the precarious work conditions employees under such categories are exposed to.

    “Labour considers casualisation, outsourcing and contract staffing as unfair labour practices and therefore, recommends government intervention through favourable policies and regulations to check-mate the excesses on the side of the employers”, he said.

    On insecurity, the union pledged labour’s support in the drive to flush out insurgents .

  • Insecurity inhibiting regulatory functions, says DPR

    The Department of Peroleum Resources (DPR) has spoken of why it cannot discharge its regulatory functions in the upstream oil sector.

    It blamed it all on insecurity in the sector.

    Its workers, acting under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, DPR Branch (PENGASSAN DPR Branch), lamented that pipeline vandalism and oil theft are drain pipes on the economy.

    Its Chairman, Comrade Amba Ndoma-Egba, who spoke at the Fourth Triennial Branch Delegates Conference on The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and the Transformation of the Oil and Gas Industry in Nigeria on Saturday in Abuja, said the incessant pipeline vandalisation and oil theft are costing the country huge revenue losses with attendant harmful impact on the environment.

    He urged the Federal Government to take decisive steps to tackle the menace.

    Ndoma-Egba said: “Oil and gas workers and their family members have continued to be victims of kidnapping, assault and murder. Recently, three of our workers were kidnapped in Bayelsa State while carrying out their legitimate duties.

    “This development, if not checked, will hamper the progress of our nation.  The National Assembly should look at the option of passing an anti-kidnapping bill into law. The bill should prescribe serious punishment for any offender.”

    Ndoma-Egba said there was the need to have an independent regulator of the oil and gas industry, saying if passed, the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) would help achieve this.

  • NDE, Katsina partner on job creation

    The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and the Katsina State Government have agreed to tackle joblessness in the state.  Both agreed to this  when the NDE Director-General, Abubakar Mohammed, paid a  visit to Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari. Mallam Abubakar said the NDE had about eight fully equipped skills acquisition centers across Katsina State, including a traditional textile training center in Agayawa and an integrated farming training scheme in Kagadama.

    He explained that each of the first six centers is training 120 unemployed persons in different areas such as computer operations, GSM repairs, fashion design, knitting, welding and autotronics, while another 120 are receiving training in traditional weaving in Agayawa center. Fifty unemployed persons are also being trained in environmental beautification. Abubakas said if such projects are replicated across all the local governments in the state, it would go a long way in reducing youth unemployment.

  • ‘Corruption hampers tax system’

    Nigeria cannot justify increasing taxation without clamping down on corruption in its tax system, President of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Bobboi Kaigama, has said.

    Speaking at a national summit in Abuja, he said companies avoided corporate income tax and privileged Nigerians avoided paying personal income tax, denying Nigeria money that could boost its revenue.

    Kaigama said the only people paying tax is the working class whose taxes are deducted at source before banks deduct transaction charges and never really see the true figure of their salaries.

    President of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Mac Anthony Dike, said skewed administration of tax policies and laws had reduced burden of direct taxation but stagnated indirect tax.

    He particularly said value added tax had been bastardised because restrictions imposed by VAT were flouted. The restrictions forbid deduction of VAT on fixed assets until they are sold and insist on full consumption.

    Dike said Nigerian needs to continue to assert its tax system to ensure no one is left behind. “I will support an increase in VAT provided we remove these bottlenecks that distort the picture,” he said.

  • LCCI: three million jobs yearly possible with SMEs

    LCCI: three million jobs yearly possible with SMEs

    The Federal Government’s promise of creating three million jobs yearly is achievable, Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Director General Mr. Muda Yusuf has said. It can be achieved with the aid of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and the real sector, he said.

    Speaking at a forum with the theme: ‘Job Creation through Entrepreneurship Empowerment’ held in Lagos, he said entrepreneurship plays an important role in the economic growth and development of any nation. “It is a purposeful activity involving the initiation, promotion and distribution of wealth and service,” he said.

    He, however, listed some of the obstacles to include skill and human capacity issues, hash business environment – infrastructure lapses, policy and regulatory shortcomings, access and cost of funds, macroeconomic challenges, interest rate and inflation, multiple taxation and inadequate incentives for entrepreneurial development.

    He called for  collaboration between the public and private sectors; development of incubation centres and enterprise development centres; creation of  free trade zones; promote the teaching of entrepreneurial skills in schools and colleges; use mentoring as a means of business skills development to encourage skill sharing and long-term personal relationship between mentor and mentee; and providing vocational skills and income-generation opportunities for the marginalised, such as women, people with disabilities and the unemployed.

    The Director General/Chief Executive, Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Dr. (Mrs) Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, said ITF has achieved over 70 per cent job placement for its trainees across major sectors of the economy.

    According to her, the ITF’s focus was to ensure 100 per cent employment for trainees that had benefitted from the various trainings conducted in collaboration with the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) and other organisations.

    “Our focus is to achieve 100 per cent employment for all trainees that come on the platform. And so far, I would say that we have done quite well. Up to 70 per cent get retained by the companies that work with us to train these people, and some go to sister companies, other companies that offer the same services, and they get employed.”

    She said over 74,000 Nigerians have been trained in various vocational and technical areas under the 1,000 per state training scheme, while about one million benefitted from the overall ITF training projects, in-house and across industries in the last one year.

    The Director-General assured that the ITF would continue to increase the number of trainees in the coming years to further address the issues of unemployment in the country, adding that already the process of training two million annually has commenced.

    “I have told my team that we should look at training and working on getting jobs for at least 50 per cent of four million people to be trained. That is because the need is huge. If we don’t do this considering the number of youths that graduate from the universities every year, from the polytechnics and even the secondary schools, the unemployment rate will continue to grow at a very high rate”, she said.

    Onaeko was honoured with award of Excellence in Vocational Training and Development.

  • ‘Imbibe civil service ethics’

    The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Clement Illoh, has urged newly recruited officers to be conversant with the extant rules and regulations of the civil service. He also asked them operate within the framework of the service.

    Dr. Illoh, who was represented by the Director, Human Resources Management, Mrs. Abiola Bawa, said this in Abuja while declaring open a two-day induction course for newly recruited officers in the Ministry.

    Dr. Illoh stated that the induction course was necessitated by the need to change the work ethics, values and productivity standard of the newly recruited officers towards building a strong institution, as no nation can make sustainable progress without the right values and culture.

    He enjoined the officers to imbibe the core values of the civil service as culture so that they can bring about the desired change, professionalism and progress to the Ministry in particular and the nation in general.

  • Decent Work Day: Labour protests workers’ rights abuse

    The organised labour and civil society groups have stormed some industrial locations in Lagos to protest increasing abuse of workers’ rights, casualisation, indecent work and inadequate pay.

    The protest was part of activities to mark ‘Decent Work Day’ declared by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

    The occassion also featured  seminar attended by stakeholders to highlight the rising cases of workers’ rights violation and the need for government to protect workers from further exploitation through casualisation, outsourcing, contract staffing and poor wages.

    Addressing the gathering on the essence of the protest, President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba said indecent work and abuse of workers’ rights remained a problem for workers in the country, adding that NLC had resolved to create more awareness for employers to provide decent job by visiting some companies in Lagos.

    Wabba said issues such as decent work, safety of workers, workers’ rights, social protection for workers and promotion of social dialogue through collective bargaining will be addressed by the unionists as workers that create wealth must enjoy the benefits of their works.

    He said the non-provision of social protection for the weak, vulnerable and those not working are the reason why there is insecurity in the land, which is an indication that the state has not managed the youths well.

    Also  speaking, General Secretary, National Union of Garment and Textile Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) and Chairman of the Industrial All Global Union Nigeria, Comrade Isa Aremu, condemned the pattern of job recruitment in the country. He cited example of the ill-fated recruitment exercise by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), which claimed several lives, adding that such act would not bring development to the economy.

    Aremu said: “The ILO defines decent work as work that takes place under conditions of freedom, equity, security and dignity in which rights are protected and adequate remuneration and social coverage provided equally for men and women.”

    He said workplace practices outside the above are commonly known as anti-labour practices and despite the fact that Nigeria, with other countries subscribed to ILO decent work agenda, unbridled pursuit of profits by employers has made work indecent and precarious for workers.

    He said apart from non-payment of salaries of workers, casualisation of staff and outsourcing of workers under inhumane and criminal terms as seen in many commercial banks and government agencies have become the order of the day.

    “The rise of precarious employment has multiple consequences, it affects our societies, leading to deepening poverty, increasing inequality while the incidence of precarious work continues to grow at an alarming rate in all sectors of the economy,” he asserts.

    Comrade Aremu said due to the disturbing change of employment status from the conventional permanent to temporary employment in the form of casualisation, outsourcing and contract staffing, Egbin power plant in Ikorodu and Vik Limited in Isolo, would be picketed.

    Other companies cited that would be visited later are Lee Group, Dura Pack limited, Watson Pharmaceuticals, Finecoat limited, Jagal limited, Current foam and Coates and Paints.

    Similarly, at the seminar organised by the Association of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI), President of the union, Mr Sunday Salako, condemned a situation where workers were treated with disdain, noting that indecent employment was still being promoted in Nigeria by failure to adhere to the principle of tripartism.

    He said: “Tripatism is where labour, employer and government sit and agree to what should obtain in the labour system. Rather than adhering to the tripartism, what is happening in Nigeria is bilateralism, where enterprises are collaborating with those in government to make lives unbearable for employees.”

  • Aluta continua…

    Aluta continua…

    For organised labour, the events that shaped this year’s 55th indepedence anniversary were a blend of the good, the bad and the ugly. Among the bad and the ugly are the unimpressive performance of the economy, insecurity, the growing army of the jobless youths, poor remuneration and others. But, in spite of the challenges, labour sees light at the end the tunnel, writes TOBA AGBOOLA.

    At 55, Nigeria is still bogged down by an avalanche of challenges on all fronts. It has been battling with many anomalies and vices, such as corruption,  kidnapping and many more that are threatening its survival.  For some time, its major headache has been the armed insurgency in the Northeast where over 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped.

    These, perhaps accounted for the anniversary celebration being lowkeyed. All is also not well on the economic front with the naira fighting for its soul.

    On the Labour front, some months before the independence anniversary saw a litany of strikes embarked upon by workers, and the crisis threatened the very existence of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). Labour is also contending with the fight for new minimum wages, the killling of its members (put at over 600) by insurgents in the North and casualisation, among others.

    Against this backdrop, organised labour noted that some good things, such as the change in government, which it sees as a positive one, and the bail out funds to states by the Federal Government, have happened.

    In its independence messages, organised labour, under the aegis of the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC), presented the bases for reflections and review of the struggles.

    It said this year’s anniversary was another opportunity to reflect on the polity, economy and society.

    According to the labour leaders, a dispassionate and an honest appraisal of the country showed that the current state of the country falls short of the lofty dreams and aspirations of nation’s founding fathers.

    TUC President Comrade Boibboi Kaigama said life has become unbearable for many; a fact that is evident in the dreary socio-political atmosphere characterised by intrigues, poverty, unemployment, wide-spread corruption, armed insurgency and terrorism, kidnappings, cultism, rampart prostitution/rape, mass emigration, de-industrialisation, tribalism and nepotism, inept leadership at various levels, andn other ills.

    “Nigerians are clearly disenchanted with several aspects of our national life, especially the performance of key functionaries and institutions involved in governance. We join other well-meaning persons to preach patience for emerging changes,” Kaigama said.

     

    Labour pushes for new wages

    Immediately after the 2015 general elections, the NLC said it would submit a new minimum wage proposal for consideration by the government.

    Labour said it hoped the new wages would be negotiated by the tripartite negotiating team of the government, employers and the organised labour.

    NLC President Comrade Ayuba Wabba gave this indication when he led the leadership of organised labour on a visit to Senate President Bukola Saraki, at the National Assembly. He said the last Minimum Wage Act in Nigeria was promulgated by the National Assembly in 2011.

    “As we also indicated in this year’s May Day address, the five-year circle, during which the National Minimum Wage is due for review, is here. In addition, the devaluation of the naira by about six per cent by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and crash in the value N150 to $1, to about N242 to $1, today underscores the grim situation for salary earners in the country against the fact that our economy is import driven. The devaluation, in simple economic terms, means that the purchasing power of the ordinary Nigerian wage earner is grossly devalued,” he said.

     

    Bail out funds for states

    President Muhammadu Buhari in July approved N804.7 billion to assist states that have been unable to pay salaries.

    The money is meant to also cover sharing of fresh allocations, granting of soft loans and restructuring of states’ debt-servicing payments.

    Workers across the country received this news with great joy.

    Labour commended President Buhari for his concern for workers.

    However, Wabba, in his message, said the enthusiasm and commitment shown on this matter by the Council of State and Mr President has been lacking in some states as governors rather than pay salaries and pensions, elected to play politics with the welfare of their workers with some of them quoted as saying that they reserve the right to do what they like with the intervention fund from the Federal Government since it is a loan.

    “We note particularly that payment of pensions at state and  local governments is a major problem  because they operate defined benefit pension system, which often times is not funded. And even when it is  funded, the governors and their cohorts help themselves to these funds because they are exposed.

    “We condemn this attitude and strongly warn that henceforth, any state that defaults in the regular payment of salaries and pensions will face the wrath of the workers. Salaries and pensions are inalienable rights of workers and retirees and not privileges. We also call for pension reforms at state and local government levels to enhance the security of pension funds and regular payments.

    “Finally, we would want to sound a note of caution to the governors, who have fixed the intervention funds in banks for pecuniary benefits. It is totally unacceptable. The NLC is working with ICPC to track the fixed funds for the purpose of taking appropriate action,” Wabba said.

     

    Anti-corruption  campaign

    Both the NLC and TUC, last month,  hit the road in various uniforms and fez caps. It was a solidarity walk in support of President  Buhari-led government’s anti-corruption campaign.

    Many chapters of the NLC undertook the walk in their various states and engaged elected representatives of the executive, legislative arms and  the courts.

    The NLC president led some  workers to the National Assembly, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Judiciary.

    Apparently overwhelmed by the anti-corruption drive, he promised labour’s unalloyed support to government’s programme in all their ramifications.

    He went further to threaten that labour would, henceforth, engage judges, who allow questionable adjournments to delay justice. Workers, he also said, would practically bundle to the courts, corruption suspects, who continue to lie under technicalities to defend themselves.

    What this implies is that workers would henceforth, take over the duties of the Police and other security agencies by bundling suspects to courts and at other times perform the functions of the National Judicial Council (NJC) by dealing with judges, perceived to be stumbling blocks to the anti-corruption crusade of the government.

    Wabba said: “We have made the point that the serial mismanagement and outright looting of the country’s resources have caused substantial damage to the economy, lives of the citizens and image of the country. On September 10 this year, we actually came out in our numbers in Abuja and the 36 states of the federation in protest against corruption.

    “We find it necessary to reiterate our call for a total war against corruption. Government has demonstrated the political will to fight corruption. The NLC and its civil society allies have mobilised for this war. In our view, what is left are strong institutions and strong laws to drive the process because corruption is still a major challenge in the polity. We need strong institutions for a stronger Nigeria. We also have to work hard to change our values.

    “We urge the government to build a strong coalition in its anti- corruption campaign with a focus on loot-recovery, prosecution, and further measures to plug leakages in accordance with the law.”

    On his part,  Kaigama said the Buhari-led administration has made change its mantra and determined to stamp out corruption and other vices, and has so far spoken and acted in tandem with that commitment.

    “We advise the government to remain focused on that path so that we may all soon walk into the bright sunlight the glimmer of which we have seen at the end of the tunnel.  We must keep our hope alive because we have a greater future ahead. God helping us, it is time for Nigeria to move forward again,” Kaigama said.

     Cost of governance

    The NLC President expressed concern over the high cost of governance in Nigeria.

    “Information available to us indicated that as far back as 2009, the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) put the salaries and allowances of certain political, public and judicial office holders numbering 17, 474 at N1.126 trillion annually. This indicates that the earnings of political office holders were such a big drain on the revenue of the country and were clearly unsustainable. The level of financial expenditure were such that a senator and a member of the House of Representative earned more than 100 times what a graduate on grade leve l 8, step 15 earns annually. The ratio, when compared to what a level 17, step 9 officer in the federal civil service earns annually, was more than 20 times,” Wabba said.

    He expressed worry that the details of the National Assembly budget were no longer accessible and their earnings and expenditure wrapped in secrecy. According to him, the lawmakers used legislative powers to move their earnings into a first-line charge in the federation account.

     

    Job creation 

    According to Wabba, one of the major challenges facing Nigeria after 55 years of independence is how to create jobs for its teeming youths.

    According to him, it is estimated every year that about 1.8 million young people between ages 15 and 34 enter the labour market.

    “These are largely hungry and angry young people. The yearly build-up of this labour-force constitutes a veritable threat.

    “Therefore, the need for sustainable mass job creation is not only necessary, but urgent. We do believe one of the surest ways of creating jobs on a sustainable basis for this teeming workforce is to ensure a return to an industrialised economy, “ he said.

    Kaigama said diversification and collaboration with the Organised Private Sector (OPS) would be critical to not only economic recovery, but job creation.

    “The logic here is manifold: government alone cannot create jobs, continued reliance on oil is not helpful, especially as we do no more than export the crude without the benefit of processing it into various end-products.

    “Government and OPS, for instance, through partnership, could explore the inestimably rich solid mineral sector. Solid mineral exploration accounts for a substantial percentage of South Africa’s national income,” Kaigama said.

     

    NLC crisis

    Early this year, there was an internal crisis that nearly tore the group apart. This followed the 11th delegates conference, which held in Abuja. Since this event, Nigerian workers have been divided along the linear part of a congress headed by two presidents. Wabba, the product of the Abuja conference and Comrade Joe Ajaero, whose group held a counter-special delegate conference in Lagos.

    However, peace may soon return to the leadership of the NLC as a seven-man committee has  been constituted to broker peace between the two warring groups.

    Headed by the former President of NLC, Comrade Hassan Sunmonu, with three members each, drawn from the two parties. The committee is expected to promote shared responsibilities and inclusiveness.

    It is also expected to carry out a comprehensive review of the NLC and its policies since 2011 and make all-inclusive recommendations to the joint Central Working Committee (CWC), of both divides on agreed and well-known tenets.

    Another indication to the truce  emerged last week when Comrade Wabba visited Issa Aremu’s family in Ilorin to commiserate with him over the demise of the union leader’s mother, Hajia Afusat Amoke Aremu, who died at the age of 91.

    Although Wabba said there was never a faction in the NLC, but he maintained that some disagreements occurred which had been resolved, saying that the congress has become a united entity.

    The NLC president restated that the strength of the union lay in its unity because the political class would never advance the workers’ interest.

    Speaking in the same vein, Aremu said the ongoing reconciliation process would soon be finalised, adding that the union is now back as a united entity.

    “Labour is back fully as a united body, we are uniting again. Wabba is repositioning NLC with his anti-corruption crusade. What unites us is more than what divides us. Very soon, we’ll finalise the process of reconciliation,” he said.

    For the workers, it’s aluta continua; victoria acerta!

  • Union advises Buhari to woo investors to agric sector

    Union advises Buhari to woo investors to agric sector

    As part of measures to encourage more people, especially youths to go into agriculture, Agriculture and Allied Employees Union of Nigeria (AAEUN) has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to encourage more foreign investors to invest in the country.

    Speaking at a reception for reporters, the National President of Nigeria branch of Ecosystem Based Adaptation for Food Security Assembly (EBAFOSA), a United Nations initiative and the Lagos State Chairman of AAEUN, Obafemi Oyenubi said agricultural products would be in high demand and  wastes would be checkmated if more investors are in the country.

    “The problem we have in the past is the issue of monopoly where exporters who have market abroad do not want other investors to come into the country”, he said.

    Obafemi said  Nigeria has a huge potential of being the leader in prosuction of various agricultural products in the world, giving the expanse of land and the favourable climate, but lamented that most of the products coming from farms now get perished easily.

    This he attributed to non availability of processing firms, who could easily take off the excess fresh products from the farmers, process and preserve it, thereby making farming as a profession or vocation, more rewarding.

    He advised the government to create an enabling environment for the would be investors, while also calling for the re-engineering of the old farm settlements across the country to further encourage those who want to go into agriculture.

    Speaking further on some of the government policy banning agricultural products, like rice, poultry and fish, the labour leader said this was not appropriate as Nigeria presently is not self sufficient in the production of these products.

    He said, “The problem is that most of the government policy is sectional, as it it done to favour some people. We should stop politicizing everything in the country. Some few peolpe who are producing these products are behind this,but you discover that what they are producing cannot be enough for the whole country, and Nigerians due to the scarcity of the products, will have to pay more. So it is the few rich that are bennefitting.”

    The National President of EBAFOSA, James Oyesola, in his contribution said  EBAFOSA seeks to combat food insecurity, climate change, ecosystems degradation and poverty in Africa using an innovative approach that decentralizes the development and application of the policy solutions in the least bureaucratic channel.

  • ASSBIFI ends internal crisis

    ASSBIFI ends internal crisis

    The intra union crisis rocking  the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) and Union Bank /United Bank for Africa (UBA) Units of ASSBIFI was been successfully resolved on August 1.

    The crisis which started 11 years ago, immediately after the national delegation conference held in Benin city, was as a result of the outcome of the election which was not accepted by both the leadership of Union Bank and UBA.

    Speaking during a meeting of the leadership of the group held at the ASSBIFI office, Alausa Ikeja, the National President of ASSBIFI, Comrade Olusoji Salako said the two units, both  Union Bank and UBA were very formidable members of the association and they actively participated at the 2004 national delegates conference but were aggrieved with the outcome of the election and therefore stopped attending activities of the national body.

    “There were some well meaning friends of the association that tried to settle the dispute so that ASSBIFI would remain one. There was a  step in this direction in 2007 at Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja when an agreement was duly signed as out of court settlement by parties. Despite this move, the dispute remained unresolved

    “Indeed, we would like to say that the resolution of the crisis on August 1, 2015 was made possible mostly because of the disposition of the current leadership of Union Bank and UBA units, who discovered that it was sheer foolhardy to continue the litigation at the detriment of our teeming members who have been at the receiving end since 20014 ,” Salako said.

    Salako said the court upheld the  agreement signed by both parties in 2007 and that the agreement have been duly implemented now. He added that the units have been remitting their check-off duty with effect from August 2015.

    Salako said the resolution will makes ASSBIFI stronger so as to be able to fight for their members.

    He said for instance, the issue of casualisation and unreasonable target setting will be look into by the association.