The Nation Newspaper

Category: Labour

  • Nigeria to export skills

    The Director-General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Dr Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko has said the country will   soon export  its skills.

    She said this in Lagos when she led her team on a courtesy visit to the office of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA).

    She said this would be achieved as soon as ITF met the target of training two million people yearly, adding that some of them would be sent abroad to improve on their skills.

    She said there was the need to know more about the ITF-NECA Technical Skills Development Project (TSDP) which kicked off in 2009.

    The DG said her four-point agenda include: “Training of  two million people yearly and finding ways to get them employed, full automation of ITF business process, to achieve maximum contribution in our ITF training contribution from our employers, which is why I came to NECA, and to achieve maximum efficiency of SIWES payments to our students.”

    Mrs. Chukkas-Onaeko said 69 million youths, who make up 52 per cent of unemployment rate among the 70 per cent youths, would be reduced if its yearly target is achieved. She said more training centres that would add to their already existing 32 offices would be opened.

    She sought partnership with organisations and stakeholders to make it possible.

    Mrs. Chukkas-Onaeko said an agreement had been reached with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) on a survey to determine new skills in developed countries and how Nigeria could tap into it.

    She said UNIDO would submit the report in January, next year to ITF, and the method to be used would be made available to employers as the research and survey method would be looked at before arriving at any conclusion.

    She said ITF would do more to assist Nigerians, by providing skills the would make them employable. “The Northeast will be focused on for training to make the people there acquire skills that will be beneficial to them as training will be customised to suit themm,” she said.

    Welcoming the ITF helmsman, NECA’s Director-General Mr Segun Oshinowo said it was  good that ITF would  train two million people yearly. He however said the panacea to unemployment goes beyond skills acquisition, noting that an enabling environment and market for products must be settled.

    According to him, the ITF/NECA Technical Skill Developmental Project (TSDP)  is one way to address unemployment.

    Oshinowo said the over N3 billion spent on the partnership since inception was justifiable as the training with equipment given to the skills acquisitors is worth it.

    The Director, ITF/NECA TSDP project  Mrs Helen Jemerigbe said 1570 youths had been trained under the scheme, adding that training is between six months and one year. She said the major challenge facing the scheme was that of inadequate training centres.

    ITF also announced plans to set up three automotive and parts training centres.

    The centres, according to the ITF, is expected to help drive the Federal Government’s policy on automobile industry. Already, 35,000 youths have been trained under the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP).

    They have been equipped with skills in various trade areas, including: Welding and Fabrication, Plaster of Paris (POP), Autotronics, Garments Making, Poultry, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Cell Phone Repairs, Rice Milling, among others, she said.

    Mrs Chukkas-Onaeko also said ITF carried out tracking after the training to ascertain the usefulness of the skills acquired by the trainees as well as inculcate in them the spirit of entrepreneurship and cooperative formation.

    At a parley with reporters, she said: “The tracking revealed that a number of cooperatives were formed while 1,647 trainees gained employment with both the public and private sectors of the economy. In addition, 1,002 of the trainees became employers of labour.’’

  • Aturu’s death shocking, says labour

    LABOUR has described the  death of human rights activist and lawyer Comrade Bamidele Aturu as a blow to it.

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in a press statements said the death of Aturu, at 49, last  week at a Lagos hospital was a shock to them.

    The NLC in a statement by the President Comrade Abdulwahed Omar said Aturu was not only the lawyer of the Congress, but also a resourceful ally of the labour movement, a comrade who committed his life to the struggle for a better society.

    “Aturu worked with the NLC on several projects, including representing us at the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC), as well as researches on trade union and workers rights, aside consistently standing as our counsel at various civil and industrial courts in different parts of Nigeria at very considerate costs, most times spending his money to fund his transportation,” Omar said.

    He said Aturu did not only represented the Congress and its affiliates, but also represented workers whose rights were violated by their employers, especially at workplaces where the rights of workers to belong to trade unions were violated.

    He lamented that Aturu’s death was a big blow to unionism, adding that he was one of the most authoritative labour lawyers in the country.

    He said: “He midwifed the formation of the National Association of Labour Lawyers to encourage other lawyers, especially young lawyers to take interest in labour law and the selfless defence of workers rights.

    “Aturu was among the formidable legal minds who did not only support the struggle against removal of oil subsidy in court, but joined the labour movement in several street protests. In pursuit of this, a court ruled in the suit he filed on October 2009 that deregulation was illegal, unconstitutional, and of no effect whatsoever.”

  • Leveraging on social security to revitalise economy

    Leveraging on social security to revitalise economy

    Though unpopular in Nigeria due to weak economic policies, social security could be the tonic to revitalise the economy, according to experts, who says it would create wealth and bridge the poverty gap, reports TOBA AGBOOLA.

    Ffor long, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress’ (TUC) leaders, have been clamouring for improved standard of living for Nigerians.

    At various local and international fora, leaders of the unions have repeatedly called on all tiers of government to do more to lift the living condition of the citizenry through economic empowerment programmes.

    They said the absence of social security for Nigerians has negatively impacted on the fortunes of her citizens, a development which they blame on unbridled corruption and mismanagement of the nation’s resources.

    As far as they are concerned, social economic empowerment is the most acceptable means of tackling insecurity and reducing social vices in the country.

    Their position is anchored on certain premises. Investigations showed that in developed societies, social security play an important role in wealth creation and distribution, because of its ability to enhance the individual’s standard of living.

    To ensure peace and tranquillity in the Western world, most governments provide one form of social security or another, to protect the unemployed, aged and low income earners from  harsh economic conditions.

    The International Labour Organisation (ILO) recently announced that more than 70 per cent of the world’s population lack adequate protection. According to its Deputy Director-General, Mrs. Sandra Polaski, the global community agreed in 1938 that social security and health care for children, the working age population, who may be unemployment due to injury, and the aged, are entitled  to the provision.

    She said so far,  the promise of universal social protection remains unfulfilled for majority of the world’s population. She said the need for social protection has become more compelling in these times of economic uncertainty, low growth and increased cost of living in many nations of the world.

    Director, Social Protection Department, ILO, Mrs. Isabel Ortiz, said many less developed countries have seen the need for social security for their nationals, adding that due to the many laudable benefits inherent in social security provision, many proactive leaders have embraced it for their nations and achieved positive results.

    Mrs. Ortiz therefore, charged other nations, which have not embraced the measure to, as a matter of urgency, do so because of the benefits they stand to gain.

    She said: “Contrary to public perception, fiscal consolidation measures are not limited to Europe. In fact, as many as 122 governments are contracting public expenditures in 2014, out of which 82 are developing countries.”

    Her advice may have hit the right chord in the ears of the Nigerian authorities. The Managing Director, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Munir Ababakar, said Nigeria has joined the league of member nations of ILO that care for their employees in the workplace, and in the process, creating a pool of investible funds for social security and economic development, which would also promote industrial peace and enhance economic development.

    He listed other benefits to include favourable spin-offs such as employment generation and high productivity. He said the economic advantage of this would be enhanced and improved quality of life through prompt response to health challenges in the workplace with its attendant impact on Nigeria’s economic indices like Human Development Index (HDI).

    The Managing Director  Premium Pension Limited Wilson Ideva said  the widespread poverty in Africa is as a result of numerous factors exacerbated by lack of social security at old age.

    Speaking at the preview of the World Pension Summit ‘Africa Special’ in Abuja, Ideva said the event has the potential to address the issue of social security in Nigeria.

    “The contributory pension scheme is a vehicle for savings and investment and provides lump sum payment at commencement of retirement and also programmed monthly pension for retirees. The scheme, in addition, avails the government of large pool of funds to drive social and economic development,” Ideya said.

    Recently, the NLC, Delta State Council  called on the state government to introduce the payment of social security benefits to unemployed graduates and youths to lessen the pressure on them to resort to crime. Its Chairman, Mr. Williams Akporeha, called on Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, to address the issue of social security.

    He said: “In addition to your laudable programmes of payment of bursary to undergraduates and scholarships for post graduate students, introduce the payment of social security benefits to unemployed graduates and youths.”

    He said the scheme can be developed with safety valves to make it possible for beneficiaries to start making gradual returns as soon as they secure employment with the state ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

    “We envisage that a scheme like this will not only check youth involvement in crime, but also build confidence between the youth and state government,”Akporeha added.

  • Construction workers threaten strike over casualisation

    • Chinese firms gets 14-day ultimatum

    The National Union of Civil Engineering Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to Chinese construction firms over what it termed unfair labour practices in Nigeria, particularly the casualisation of  workers in all its sites and offices.

    The Union threatened to commence industrial action from July 17 when the ultimatum expires should the Chinese construction companies fail to stop their unholy labour practices.

    At a briefing at the Union’s National Secretariat in Lagos, the President-General of NUCECFWW Comrade Amechi Asugwuni said the Chinese construction companies, including China Engineering Construction Company (CECC), China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC), and CGC Nigeria Limited have been observing all relevant labour laws in Nigeria only in the breach hence, the Union was compelled to register its displeasure and disappointment.

    Asugwuni said apart from the casualisation of 90 per cent of workers, the Chinese construction firms refused to adhere to safety rules, such as conveying workers to work places with open trucks and trailers, complete disregard to provision of medical attention to workers, and neglect to other health and safety rules such as use of safety wears.

    Other alleged anti-labour practices by the Chinese construction companies, which did not go down well with the Union include intimidation and victimisation of workers, refusal to unionise the workers, none adherence to the provisions of the local content policy, which made human resources/industrial relations practice difficult and non-implementation of the NJIC Agreement.

    “The National Headquarters of the Union cannot fold its arms and watch yet another era of labour slavery and exploitation, despite series of agreements reached between the Union and the management of the Chinese construction companies in Nigeria to put a stop to these un-holy practices, none of which was implemented,” Asugwuni warned.

    He noted: “The action of the management of the Chinese construction companies amounted to not just a violation of the fundamental rights of the workers, but also a clear violation of the Nigeria labour laws, constitution and international conventions and standards.

    “In the light of the fore-going, the Union has already issued a 14-day ultimatum to all Chinese construction companies in Nigeria within which all issues enumerated are fully implemented or face industrial actions nationwide,” he said, accusing the government of failing to prevail on the Chinese companies to adhere to the expatriate quota policy.

    He accused the government of failing to enforce strict compliance with the terms of contract for capital projects.

  • NSITF, FRSC partner on employees’ compensation

    NSITF, FRSC partner on employees’ compensation

    The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) is partnering the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) on promoting workplace safety and protection for workers through the Employees Compensation Scheme (ECS).

    NSITF’s Managing Director Alhaji  Munir Abubakar, who made this known when he called on the Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of FRSC, Osita Chidoka, where he explained that the fund is mandated under the scheme to pay compensations to all Nigerian workers who suffer workplace injuries, occupational diseases and deaths.

    While stating that its mandate covers both private and public sectors of the economy, Munir noted that collaboration between NSITF and FRSC is necessitated by the common goals of both bodies, which aim at safeguarding the safety of Nigerian workers with regards to occupational hazards.

    He said the NSITF wants greater collaboration on FRSC’s database especially on road crashes data in the country, which will help it verify employees making both genuine and false claims.

    Chidoka commended the compensation scheme, describing it as unique. He said the FRSC needs the ECS more than any other government agency, as its staff are accident prone.

    He promised to establish a liaison office with NSITF for closer collaboration on data sharing between the two. He also promised to avail the NSITF details of crashes the commission has captured.

  • NUPENG moves against ‘crazy’ electricity bills

    NUPENG moves against ‘crazy’ electricity bills

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers ((NUPENG) has threatened to mobilise Nigerians against unjustifiable electricity bills  charged by power distribution companies (DISCOS).

    President of the union, Comrade Igwe Achese, who spoke in Lagos, regretted that consumers are not enjoying the services they are being exorbitantly charged for by the power providers.

    Achese lambasted the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for exhibiting a lack-lustre attitude to enforcing better service delivery to electricity consumers.

    He said: “These fraudulent bills are putting more hardship, especially on the masses who cannot even afford three square-meals a day, but have to cough out money for electricity they didn’t get.

    “The exploitative attitude of the new power distribution companies is unjust, oppressive, uncalled for and not in tune with the energy reforms of the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.”

  • Youth unemployment greatest test of our time, says UN

    Youth unemployment greatest test of our time, says UN

    United Nations  (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on governments to invest more in youth employment initiatives, stressing that youth unemployment is an epidemic that will present the world its greatest test of time.

    Ki-moon made the call during a visit to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland.

    He said: “In countries rich and poor, unemployment rates for young people are many times those of adults – and of course joblessness is the tip of the iceberg. Many are stuck in low wage work with no protection in the informal economy. Many others find that their schooling has not equipped them with the tools for today’s job market.“

    He said that the private sector was a key driver of job creation.

    He urged trade unions, employers’ organisations and businesses to empower more youth in your own structures and engage with youth-led organisations, adding that, trade unions have a fundamental role in promoting and protecting young workers’ rights.

    He said: “We need strong and innovative strategies, reaching out to specific groups, such as youth with disability and young women, and supporting youth to be job creators.”

    In his welcome address, ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, thanked the Secretary-General for coming to the ILO despite the turbulent times.

  • ITF seeks support for skills development

    ITF seeks support for skills development

    The  Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has called on governments at all levels and the Organised Private Sector (OPS) to rev up their support for the development of skills to aid the nation’s industrialisation process.

    As part of the moves to achieve this, the Fund sought for patronage for its training programmes, including prompt remittance of training contributions.

    Its Director-General,Dr Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, who spoke  during the opening ceremony of the sixth management retreat of the agency in Asaba, the Delta State capital, said ITF will not relent in providing need based intervention in the polity.

    The workshop, with theme, “Mastering the art of leading change” was organised by the ITF to come up with strategies that could be used in achieving its mandates.

    She said: ”We appeal to both the private and public sectors to support the ITF. On our part, we shall not relent in providing appropriate need based performance improvement intervention of all our clients and stakeholders.”

  • Erratic power: PENGASSAN urges revocation of firms’ licences

    Erratic power: PENGASSAN urges revocation of firms’ licences

    Labour has urged new investors in the electricity sector to provide light to Nigerians or have their licences revoked.

    Speaking at the opening ceremony of the fourth Triennial National Delegates Conference of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), in Abuja, the National President, Comrade Babatunde Ogun, lamented the abysmal state of electricity supply since the sector was privatised in November last year.

    He said: “All the distribution and generating companies have not shown enough readiness to invest in improving electricity supply in the country.”

    It would be recalled that the nation’s electricity supply which stood at over 4,000 mega watts (Mw) before privatisation, was recently reported to have dropped to below 2,000 megawatts.

    Ogun  said the companies have continued with their dubious regime of billing customers for electricity not consumed.

    Although he commended the efforts of the regime in improving power supply in the country, the labour leader said it was high time the new power firms started work and live up to the expectations of Nigerians.

    He said: “This nation can never have any meaningful development without power. Nigerians are getting impatient with excuses: please give us efficient and regular power to drive the economy.”

    Ogun, who condemned Federal Government’s lackadaisical  approach at fighting corruption, noted that the scourge was responsible for most of the systemic failure in the country.

    He said corruption is endemic in the country and has equally eaten into every fabric of the society.

    “Corruption has not only impinged on the nation’s economy but also battered our image among committee of nations. The actions of the Federal Government do not appear to engender confidence from the Nigerian people on the sincerity of the government in the fight against corruption,” he said.

    Ogun criticised the government for its inability to create tangible jobs in the country.

    He said the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P) has failed to make any meaningful impact due to poor funding.

    In his address, the Minister of Labour and Productivity , Chief Emeka Wogu said  the Federal Government is sensitive to the plight of all Nigerians, including workers.

    He explained that the government transformation agenda is aimed at restructuring and re- modelling Nigeria as a giant economy ranking at least the 20th Economy by 2020.

    Wogu said the funds that have accrued to the country from the 2012 subsidy removal have been marshaled into the SURE-P.

    He said the programme has empowered 119, 000 women and youth by creating 3,000 jobs, per state, and the FCT. He said the programme was building eight skills development centres, public works, agriculture, tourism, and ICT programmes that will add value to the lives of the youths in the country.

    The two-day conference, which has as its theme: “Repositioning the Nigeria oil and gas industry: Possibilities and realities,” will climax with the election of new executives of the association.

  • ‘Confab’s position on budget may lead to job loss’

    ‘Confab’s position on budget may lead to job loss’

    The recommendation of delegates at the on-going National Conference that the government should be shut in case of a delay in signing the budget by the President, may result in massive lay-off of workers, the Executive Director, African Heritage Institution (AfriHeritage), Dr. Ifediora Amobi,  has warned.

    He said a such shut is similar to a government strike, where provision of social services cease over a period of time, adding that the result is that payment of salaries will be  delayed, government programmes and projects will be disrupted (particularly in health, education and  power) with dire consequences for people who are dependent on these programmes. Also, financing gaps are created in critical sectors such as Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs), small scale farm projects, and others.

    The  economist lamented that it is wrong to make the average Nigerians pay for the inadequacies, and to a large extent, the incompetence of those in the legislative and executive arms of government who have refused to do their work efficiently.

    Amobi explained that the government shutdown is a situation created where the executive and the legislative arms of government cannot reach a compromise when it comes to signing the nation’s annual budget, thus creating a ‘funding gap’.

    “During the funding gap period, the government shuts down because there is no money to pay workers, to provide services, and so on,” he said.

    On the economic implications of the action, the AfriHeritage boss noted that the economic cost could be in billions of naira depending on the duration of the shutdown, reduction in the Gross  Domestic Product (GDP) by up to two per cent or more, job losses/layoffs as well as sharp cutbacks in hiring practices, lost man-days nationwide, with very high productivity losses, significant drop in consumer, business and investor confidence and negative image for Nigeria because it will affect visa issuing and passport services.

    He urged the delegates not to copy verbatim the situation in the United States (US) where it happened recently, saying the US constitution provides for an Anti-deficiency Act that requires the Federal Government to begin a shutdown of the affected activities if an interim or full-year appropriation is not enacted into law.

    “My recommendation is that we should not copy the US in toto as their practice also has profound economic consequences. “The 2013 shutdown cost the US government over $24 billion (averaging $160 million a day). With our present monitored system, Nigeria losses an average of $10.9 billion a year to oil theft.

    “Just imagine the grand loss during a shutdown period where the oil sector will no longer be monitored.

    “My overall position Is that the National Conference revisit their earlier rejected amendment to Section 59 (3) of the 1999 Constitution which stated that In the event that the budget is not approved by the 2nd of January, government should operate on the basis of 75 per cent of previous year’s budget as an interim measure to avoid a shut down,” he said.

    Delegates at the National Conference had agreed that to go forward, Appropriation Bills must be presented to the National Assembly on or before September 30 of every year, while the National Assembly must pass the bill within two months for Presidential Assent in December.

    The rationale is to stop any expenditure by the government in the event of a delay in the passage of the budget.