The Nation Newspaper

Category: Labour

  • Union urges govt to address energy, insecurity

    The Textile Garment and Tailoring Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (TGTSSAN) has called on the Federal Government to ensure  adequate supply of energy and subsidise electricity consumption, diesel and black oil in order to revive the sub-sector.

    In a communiqué issued this year’s  industrial relations seminar in Enugu, its National President, Comrade Ambi  Karu,  called on the government to tackle the insecurity in the country.

    According to him, it has hindered investors and stopped the movement of finished goods to the northern part of the country.

    The communiqué read in part: “Government should step up efforts to ensure adequate supply of energy and subsidise electricity consumption, diesel and black oil that are used in the factories.

    “Government should tackle the insecurity in the country that has hindered investors and stopped the movement of finished goods to the northern part of the country.

    “Government should reduce duties on chemicals and dyes-tuff and lift the embargo on the payment claims on Export Expansion Grant (EEG). Government should implement the recommendations of the Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment that Nigerian officials and all our Military, Para-Military and Agencies should use made-in-Nigeria textiles”.

    The government through the Ministry of Labour and productivity, Karu said,  should ensure that workers are given free hand to unionise without undue interference from managements, adding that the government should implement its recommendations contained in the team analysis document presented from the office of the Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment on ‘How Nigeria can revive her cotton, textiles and garment sub-sector’.

    In a related event, unions have been urged to organise their practices in order defend the rights of workers and the Nigerian masses. The President, National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), Comrade Oladele Hunsu, disclosed this during a three-day capacity building and skills development workshop organised by the union in Ilorin, Kwara State.

    Hunsu tasked members to organise to save the movement from collapse, adding that the “union’s effort should go beyond organising workers in the factory and organise ways to save the industry”.

  • SMEDAN, UNDP train women entrepreneurs

    SMEDAN, UNDP train women entrepreneurs

    •Target CBN’s 220b MSME funds

    The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have concluded the second phase of their economic empowerment programme for women-owned Cooperative Societies in Enugu, Enugu State.

    The programme drew from select states with hopes on leveraging the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s) N220 billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) fund recently launched in Abuja by President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Over 60 women, representing various Cooperative Societies from the North and South of the country, benefitted from entrepreneurship training.

    Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Director-General, SMEDAN, Alhaji Bature Umar Masari, who was represented on  by the Director of Enterprise Development and Promotion, Mrs Justina David, said the agency would explore the possibility of securing funding for the women-owned cooperative societies from the N220b CBN intervention fund.

    Commending the women for their commitment throughout the training, he noted that the women are now in a better position to access the CBN’s MSME Fund, as well as other soft loans from the federal government-owned development finance institutions. The institutions, he said, include the Bank of Industry (BOI) and Bank of Agriculture (BOA).

    Bature urged them to ensure that knowledge acquired in the course of the training reflect in their daily business activities. He called on the women to serve as examples and a shining light to other women entrepreneurs in their various communities.

    He commended the UNDP in Nigeria for their commitment to enhancing the capacity and development of women and making the training a reality.

    The UNDP Country Director, Dr Pa Lamin Beyai, urged women to share their knowledge with other members of their respective cooperative societies, noting that most African countries have similar demographic pattern where women form up to 50 per cent or more of the population.

  • ‘Address abuse of expatriate quota’

    Worried by the high rate of unemployment in the country, the Organised Labour has urged the Federal Government to protect Nigerian youths through the re-appraisal of the existing law guiding expatriate quota. The workers under the aegis of the National Union of Civil Engineering Construction Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW) lamented the flagrant abuse of expatriate quota by foreign firms operating in the country.

    The union, in a communique jointly signed by the President General, Comrade Amechi Asugwuni and the General Secretary, Comrade Babatunde Liadi, noted that many foreigners, especially Asians and Chinese are in Nigeria on the excuse of being experts on the jobs that can be performed by Nigerians. They argued that this is against the Nigerian Content Development (NCD) Act.

    “Therefore the National Executive Council (NEC-in-session) call on the necessary organ of government to review the process of granting expatriate permit through proper synchronization as well as ensuring that expatriate quota are not abused”, the statement read. The union’s NEC demanded for a properly reconstituted inter-ministerial department and agency committee that will co-opt labour unions in recommending and approving expatriate registration.

    The Union re-affirmed workers inalienable rights to belong to the union of their choice in accordance with the laws of the land and ILO Conventions, which had already been domesticated in Nigeria. As such it charged the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity  not to allow employers to scuttle processes and ensure prompt implementation of award against the employers.

    The statement commended the alertness of the Union in monitoring of employers’ compliance with best industrial relations practices in the industry, noting that it has helped to reduce friction between the union and employers, put management on their toes, facilitate alertness and make both the Government and employers to appreciate the need to be proactive in nipping issues in the bud.

    The Union, which condemned the state of casualisation and contract staffing in the country, also resolved that any employment model or policy that is found to be deceptively exploitative with the tendency to degrade jobs or weaken the union will be strongly resisted.

  • Elimination of child labour’ll benefit economy, says TUC

    Trade -Union Congress (TUC) has pointed out that eliminating child labour in transition and developing economies could generate economic benefits nearly seven times greater than the costs.

    Speaking with The Nation, Secretary General of TUC, Comrade Musa Lawal said child labour is a violation of fundamental human rights and has been shown to hinder children’s development, potentially leading to lifelong physical or psychological damage.

    “Evidence in Nigeria, for instance, points to a strong link between household poverty and child labour, and child labour perpetuates poverty across generations by keeping children of the poor out of school and limiting their prospects for upward social mobility.

    “The TUC has made it clear to the government that policy to combat child labour is necessary because the lowering of human capital in the economy through child labour has been linked to slow economic growth and social development.

    “In the 2014 labour conference, discussions on International Labour Organisation (ILO) study on child labour has shown that eliminating child labour in transition and developing economies could generate economic benefits nearly seven times greater than the costs,” he said.

    He said for many governments around the world the elimination of forced labour remains an important challenge for the 21st century as it would curb insecurity challenges. Lawal said political leadership at all levels in Nigeria need to redouble their efforts in curbing corruption.

    His words: “We appeal to our political leadership at all levels in the country to redouble their efforts in curbing corruption. We are of the view that unless there are prompts deterrent sanctions against those brought to book; the problem will continue to fester.

  • NDE, BoA sign loans’pact

    NDE, BoA sign loans’pact

    The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bank of Agriculture (BoA) to assist NDE trainees with loans.

    The Coordinator of NDE in Kano State, Alhaji Aliyu Abubakar, made this known at the opening of a training for 50 women in modern bag-making and footwear production in Kano.

    He said under the deal, the directorate would identify viable business proposals from the beneficiaries for  funding. He urged them to open accounts with the bank to get loans.

    The coordinator advised the women trainees to form cooperative societies to enable them to tap from the advantages of networking.

    Abubakar said the decision to train the women was to provide them with skills to enable them set up their own businesses.

    He said after the training, the trainees would be given a start-up capital to enable them to start their own businesses.

    “Unemployment among women can have highly devastating effects owing to their vulnerability. In addition, the Universal Declaration on Equal Opportunities and Gender Sensitivity has become household principle. We have been championing the cause of women by ensuring their full participation in economic activities for self-reliance,” he said.

    The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Binta Jibril, praised the directorate for tackling unemployment among women and youths.

    Jibril, represented by the Director Women Affairs, Hajiya Hajara Shehu, said the government was ready to partner with the directorate to reduce unemployment in the state.

    The training, which commenced last week, will last 21 days.

  • Union calls for gas-to-power policies’ implementation

    Union calls for gas-to-power policies’ implementation

    Proper execution of policies on gas will boost  power supply, the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) has said.

    SSAEAC’s National President, Comrade Bede Opara, said: “I think if properly implemented, the policy would in the medium to long-term trigger additional investment in the infrastructure for gas to power.

    “The submission by the Petroleum Resources Minister  that inadequate infrastructure for gas supply has been the bane of the sector since it was privatised, and that a detailed tariff is being worked out by  the Ministries of Petroleum Resources and Power, the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Agency (NERC) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to find a lasting solution to the problem  through the  review of gas pricing, will in the short-term, anticipate that this will quickly boost gas supply and in turn, power output, is a welcome development.”

    The union, he said, had urged the Federal Government to build a national gas grid owned by Nigerians, or executed in partnership with credible private sector players in a public-private partnership arrangement.

    “The grid can be put in place in four years, and should have capacity to handle gas volumes far in excess of the present limited domestic and regional demand. Such gas infrastructure will stimulate further domestic demand for expanding electricity requirements and various industrial purposes as well as facilitate domestic gas competition.

    “This is because the Nigeria Vision 2020 Economic Transformation Agenda has it that the overall target for the power sector is to grow installed power generation capacity from 6,000mw in 2009 to 20,000mw by 2015 and 35,000mw by 2020,” he said.

    He said the pronouncement by the Petroleum Resources Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, that Nigerians may witness another hike in electricity tariff without improvement in power supply to justify another increase, was unfortunate.

    “Hiking tariff is not justifiable because the burden on citizens is enormous, as they also have to battle with scarcity and high cost of kerosene, diesel and cooking gas. And if the hike is aimed at pleasing investors, it subjects Nigerians to more suffering, indeed, double jeopardy.

    “People should not pay for what is non-existent. The ideal thing is to work towards putting power first. Thereafter, it would be clear to all and sundry that there is a change that could warrant tariff increase. I am of the view that Nigerians need a respite from the unbearable economic hardship in the country,” he said.

    He said there was still an outstanding payments to workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), adding that a review shows that the sub-committee on the processing of staff benefits said the screening was cubersome.

  • Bauchi trains 100 on funds’ management

    THE  Accountant-General of the Bauchi State Government has trained about 100 financial stakeholders on better management of funds and accountability.

    It  was in line with the implementation of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS).

    The Commissioner of Finance, Alhaji Mahmoud Maijama’a, said the idea of IPSAS followed the adoption and recommendation of Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) Committee to the Governor in 2012 on the need for prudent management of funds.

    The Commissioner said the implementation of IPSAS has many advantages, especially in upgrading financial reporting in the public sector to international standard.

    He said: “IPSAS involves updating the skills of accountants and auditors in public sector organisations, including ensuring fair value, diminution of assets and liabilities.”

    Maijama’a advised the participants to pay attention to learning speedily, adding that the government will not hesitate to sack incompetent financial workers.

  • Ebola: OATUU praises health workers

    The Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU) has lauded the efforts of health workers in the continent towards combating the deadly Ebola virus.

    In a statement, its Secretary General, Owei Lakemfa, expressed the gratitude of the working people of Africa to doctors and health workers who are in the frontline of the struggle against Ebola.

    He noted that many doctors and health workers have put their lives on the line in the process of fighting the deadly disease.

    “We are particularly touched by the heroic struggles of health workers like Dr. Sheik Hummar Khan of Sierra Leone who consciously threw themselves into the thick of the battle and tragically got infected and succumbed.

    “We pray that they rest in perfect peace and that God gives their families and loved ones the fortitude to bear their painful loss.

    “African workers are also quite grateful to internationalists from outside our continent who came to our aid and got infected in the process.

    “Our hearts go out to the Americans; Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol who were infected in the process of fighting Ebola and who are back home for treatment,” the OATUU said.

    OATUU also expressed solidarity with the workers and Guineans, Sierra Leonians and Liberians for bearing the brunt of the outbreak of the disease, and their governments that have shown remarkable leadership and courage in tackling on Ebola.

    Lakemfa said the union appealed to other African countries not to engage in the panic of shutting their borders.

    “What is required is not spreading fear; rather, it is to stop Ebola spreading. If a country shuts its borders to prevent its neighbours from crossing, it cannot stop its nationals returning from neighbouring countries,” he said.

    He also said Ebola does not require visa, adding that it is better to follow the example of the United States by taking measures to fight Ebola in realisation of the fact that given air travel and multiple citizenship to contain and confine the disease in the area it is ravaging, before it spreads to other parts of the world.

    OATUU thanked organisations, such as Doctors without Borders and the African Development Bank, and countries like Nigeria who have committed financial resources to the continental fight against Ebola.

    The OATUU urged the international community including the United Nations to organise a robust defense against this global challenge.

  • Union laments non-payment of ex-PHCN workers’ entitlements

    The President-General of Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC), Comrade Bede Opara, has lamented the non-payment of the entitlements of some workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) 10 months after the company was privatised by the Federal Government.

    Speaking with reporters in Lagos, he said the development was a manifestation of the government’s insincerity towards the plight of workers.

    He said a review of the payments showed that the processing was tasking.\

    According to him, the Director- General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) is aware that the sub-committee has been starved of funds.

    He said at its last meeting of May 6, this year, the sub-committee reviewed the assignment and confirmed that of 47, 913 ex-staff, 46,308 had been verified, while theose paid severance/cash component of benefits were 43,342.

    The report also showed that the  staff paid severance payments were 2,966, those awaiting verification 1, 605, while those paid pension were 43,228.

    Also, staff yet to be pension were 3,080, those retired/dead staff awaiting benefits before April 30,  last year were 4,146, while verified retirees/next of kin billed for payment by May 6, were 3, 233, and those awaiting verification were 913.

    He said the summary of the above data by May 6, 2,966 staff were not paid the severance/cash benefits, while 3,233 verified retired and relatives of dead staff were yet to receive their benefits.

    Opara further said there were still 1,605 unverified staff and 913 retirees/dead staff next of kin who had waited for 10 years.

    Director-General of BPE, Benjamin Dikki at a briefing in Lagos said it was not true that his agency was delaying the payment of the PHCN workers.

  • New auto policy’ll create jobs, says UNIDO

    The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has said the implementation of the new automotive policy would create more jobs.

    UNIDO’s Representative and Director, Regional Office for Nigeria, Dr. Patrick Kormawa, who stated this at a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos, said the industry employs about 2,500.

    But the implementation of the new automotive policy, Kormawa noted, would generate more than 700,000 direct and indirect jobs.

    He said the policy would help create jobs in different clusters in the country and across the entire automotive value chain.

    “It will also fast-track the growth and development of other intervening industries such as automotive spare parts, auto servicing, steel industry, rubber, petrochemicals and plastic industries, among others,” he said.

    He said to industrialise the country, diversify the economy, create jobs and generate wealth for the people, government must put in place investment-friendly policies that would attract local and foreign investments and brands from different parts of the world into the critical sectors of the Nigerian economy.

    The UNIDO boss said for the country to make significant progress in the automotive sector, government should encourage any company that wants to assemble cars in the country to do so. He said: “This will help many local artisans to move from the formal to the informal sectors of the economy. This will further aid wealth creation and enable the growth of small businesses to contribute positively to national development.”

    He called on the Federal Government to provide a conducive atmosphere to attract and grow local and foreign direct investments across all sectors of the Nigerian economy. He said if this is done, it would create business opportunities for Nigerians, grow the economy and contribute to government’s tax revenue.

    The Director-General of the National Automobile Council, Aminu Jalal, said the industry has its fair share of crisis that dates back to the 1980s.

    Despite the crisis in the industry, he said the Federal Government had continued to make efforts to revitalise the industry.