The Nation Newspaper

Category: Labour

  • Govt targets 460,000 jobs

    The Federal Government aims at creating about 460,000 jobs in the next four years through the Growth and Employment Project (GEM), the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga has said.

    Aganga, who spoke  in Abuja at the inauguration of an eight-member steering committee for the GEM project, said the project is aimed at enhancing job creation and increasing non-oil growth in specific high-potential value chain sectors and would help to create 110,000 direct and 350,000 indirect jobs.

    The Committee is chaired by Aganga with members drawn from the Ministries of Finance, Information, Communications Technology, Culture and Tourism, Agriculture and Rural Development and the National Orientation Agency (NOA).

    Aganga said the committee is critical to enhancing inclusive economic growth through job creation and wealth generation. “The GEM project is very important to the Federal Government and the Nigerian economy. It is an employment project by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, supported by the World Bank and the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID).

    He said the World Bank is providing about $160 million loan facility, while the DFID is providing a grant of about $100 million. The project is aimed at job creation and increased non-oil growth in specific high potential value chain sectors. The project was conceptualised after the conduct of the Growth Poll Studies in 2007.

    “The study identified key sectors with potential growth in the economy and with high potential to generate jobs. This is what the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan and the National Enterprise Development Programme, launched by President Goodluck Jonathan recently, seek to achieve.”

    Aganga added that his ministry, working with the World Bank and DFID, has identified eight key-sectors with potential for generating employment. He said the impact of the implementation of the GEM programme would be felt in no distant future.

    He said: “It is expected that the GEM programme, which will run from June 2013 to September 2018, will create a minimum of about 460,000 jobs, comprising 110,000 direct and 350,000 indirect jobs. There are eight priority sectors that we have identified based on their growth and employment potential, which are also areas of focus in our NIRP and NEDEP.“ They are: Information and Communications Technology; wholesale and retail; hospitality and tourism; meat and leather; construction and real estate; entertainment industry; agro processing, light manufacturing and entrepreneurial development.”

    Speaking during the event, the World Bank Sector Leader, Finance and Private Sector Development in Nigeria, Mr. Michael Wong said the bank was committed to the successful implementation of the project, adding that it would reach about 10,000 enterprises within the implementation period.

  • Govt, labour partner on capacity building

    Trade Union Congress (TUC), has called on the Federal Government to partner with the trade union on human capacity building so as to transform the nation’s economy. Speaking at the triennial delegates’ conference of the Senior Staff Association of Communications, Transport and Corporations (SSACTAC) in Abuja, Bobboi Kaigama called on both parties to complement each other to deliver on job creation opportunities for Nigerians:”Human capacity building is not just about today, but more importantly it is an investment in the future. We call for a glorious lasting era of fruitful partnership between the trade union movement and various tiers of government in Nigeria in human capacity building for unprecedented transformation of our nation,” he said.

    On how trade union movement in partnership with government can build human capacity as the best strategy for national transformation, Kaigama said; “It is in our mutual best interest to ensure that this happens.” The labour leader emphasized that the much needed capacity building has to do with strengthening of skills, competencies, and abilities of workers so as to overcome exclusion and sufferings, while making optimal input to the economy.”The new skills acquisition trend is a conceptual approach to development that focuses on understanding the obstacles that inhibit people, governments, international organisations and non-governmental organisations from realizing their developmental goals or set objective.

    Kaigama further explained: “For the purpose of clarity, it is vital that we understand that human capacity building involves equipping individuals with the information, knowledge; training and understanding that would enable them perform tasks better and more effectively. Our concern is that through capacity building individual workers and groups are empowered to expand their abilities to fully participate in the development process that would boost the ability to appraise and address issues that bother on policy choices and mechanisms of implementation among development options, based on an understanding of critical variables such as environment and the needs of the people concerned.”

    According to Kaigama, there is no doubt that applying the concept of human capacity building holds true in every nation and has positive impact on national economy and transformation. What is more important to the nation’s organized labour, he stressed, is a workforce that is capable of operating industries at a level where it holds a competitive advantage over the economies of other countries.

  • Railway workers want action on policy formulation

    Workers of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Railway Workers (NUR) want the Federal Government and other stakeholders to partner with the union as part of measures to roll out time tested policies.

    The President-General of NUR, Mr. Raphael Ben Okoro, told journalists that the partnership between the union, government and employers of labour could lead to national development and economic growth.

    Okoro said much that can be achieved through constructive tripartite methodology cannot be over-emphasized, saying it was for that reason the union is advising government at all levels to embrace trade unions and labour leaders as partners in progress, as workers’ representatives are inalienable stakeholders that deserve recognition.”

    He enjoined all the trade unions in the country not to fail in their duty as champions of the common man and instruments for social change.

  • Civil servants reject Pension Act

    Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), has rejected the 2004 Pension Act in, saying it has brought severe hardship on retired members. The association said retired civil servants now receive peanuts as benefit under the scheme compared to what they received under the  old scheme.

    A communiqué issued at the end of the association’s meeting

    which held in Kano, implored  the Federal Government to revert to the old pension scheme in order to save workers from the agonising experiences which they now go through few years after retirement. The communiqué was signed by the association’s  National President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, Secretary-General, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal and its six zonal chairmen.

    It observed that there is increased anger in the Federal Ministry of Education, triggered by the non-payment of salaries to some officers since July, 2013. They resolved  that the Federal Ministry of Education should liaise with the Federal Ministry of  Finance and Budget Office with a view to clearing the backlog of unpaid salary before the end of February 2014 to avoid protracted crisis .

    The body deplored the non-payment of 2007 to 2010 promotion arrears to workers in the Ministry of Education and charged the national leadership of the association to give the ministry an  ultimatum to settle the payment to that effect. The association commended the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) over the launch of its housing scheme in Abuja. It enjoined the TUC leadership to work tirelessly towards ensuring that the first set of houses are delivered to members in the shortest possible time.

    In a related event, workers in the 104 Unity schools in the country have charged the Federal Government to settle all the outstanding relating to salary and arrears to avoid crisis in the sector. This was even as the workers were passing a vote of no confidence on the new pension scheme and calling on the Federal Government to revert them to the old scheme.

    The workers, under the aegis of the Association of Senior Civil Servant of Nigeria (ASCSN) rising from the meeting of the Unit Chairmen of the Federal Ministry of Education, 104 Federal Unity Colleges (FUCs) and the zonal coordinators of the schools from the six geopolitical zones in Kano recently, called on the national leadership of the association to give the management of the Federal Ministry of Education a time frame within which to pay the arrears.

    The union at the meeting also demanded that newly employed officers who joined service in 2011 and 2012 and whose data have been captured but are yet to receive their salaries should be paid forthwith along with the outstanding arrears to mitigate the sufferings they are currently passing through.

    The union however noted with delight the circular issued by the Federal Ministry of Education directing the Principals of the Unity Schools to pay all outstanding arrears of 1st 28 days in lieu of hotel accommodation to affected officers since the schools are now self-accounting.

    It urged the Principals of the Colleges to clear all outstanding arrears in respect of the 1st 28 days allowance within the current calendar year to avoid industrial dispute that may arise as a result of non-payment.

    The communique read further, “The meeting in session frowned at the attitude of some Principals of the Colleges who have formed the habit of denying workers their entitled Duty Tour Allowance as enshrined in the Public Service Rules. It then urged the Principals to settle all outstanding DTA to al members that are due for it in line with the agreement entered into between the Union and the Management of the Federal Ministry of Education.”

  • There’s decay in university system, says SSANU

    President, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Comrade Samson Ugwoke, has said there is decay in the university system, adding that so many Vice Chancellors have embezzled money and have been indicted in various visitation reports. Speaking with newsmen in Lagos, the President said most of the universities have not been able to manage funds from the Federal Government well. His words: “We are talking about decay, what are the reasons for decay, what have we done about the decay?

    “How far have the vice chancellors and university management judiciously managed the funds sent to them as capital grants? My own view of the assessment is that we would have looked at Nigerian universities from the past 15 years; how much has been sent to University A? How much of the capital grant has been put into use? How much has been embezzled and who embezzled it?

    “Then if there is no embezzlement, it means that there is a shortfall in the required amount for capital grant to develop that university; it would be known that there was a clean usage of funds sent to that university. But if actually the quantum of money that was sent to the university was enough to provide adequate facilities to a level, then something happened to the money that was sent and that was why we were excluded.

    “That is why we say there is corruption; if government wants to prove me wrong let us go and do that assessment for the past 15 years, because it is only the statistics that is going to prove me wrong. The statistics will guide us in future funding of the universities and proper management of such funds”.

    Ugwoke commended the Federal Government for the release of N30 billion for settlement of earned allowances but stressed that the amount fell short of expectation. “As far as ‘earned allowance’ is concerned, I think some universities did well in the ratio of sharing it and giving it to staff. But there are still some universities that have not even touched the money, not even one kobo has been given to their staff.  For example, Michael Opkara University of Agriculture Umudike till today as I am talking to you, the vice chancellor of that school has not disbursed a kobo of that money and it is more than three months since his own allocation came to him and nobody has asked why he had not disbursed the money to staff. In all, it is very evident and clear that the money, N30 billion was not able to cover July 2009 to December 2013. More money is still required. Federal Government should expedite action in releasing the promised N10 billion to universities to see how far it will go.  We are also demanding that governing councils should start the implementation of payment of earned allowances from month to month, beginning January 2014,” he said.

    On the controversy surrounding ownership of university staff schools, he said: “In the circular for 2014 budget, government directed that staff school should be removed from the central budget of the universities, which violates the 2009 agreement because in the agreement, staff school appeared as a demonstration school for the faculties of education; that is how it is. SSANU wrote directly to Mr. President on this issue. So our National Executive Council in this meeting has decided to declare a trade dispute”.

  • Labour frets over IOCs’ divestment

    Members of the organised labour have expressed concern over likely job losses that will arise from the on-going divestment by International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the nation’s oil and gas industry. This is despite assurances by operators and regulators that the move is good for indigenous participants in core upstream activities.

    Lagos Zonal Chairman of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Rev. Folorunsho Oginni, said the union is taking steps to ensure that the interest of its members are protected.

    He blamed the Federal Government for IOCs’ assets divestment, adding that government has failed to create the enabling environment for indigenous oil firms and IOCs to thrive. Specifically, he said government has failed to address the myriad of challenges in the sector, which include endemic oil theft, illegal bunkering, piracy, destruction of oil and gas assets in the Niger Delta, and the non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

    He expressed fears that the indigenous oil firms that will take over the assets of the multinationals will massively disengage workers in the sector, going by their antecedents as slave drivers. “If you ask an average oil worker who they prefer to work with, they will tell you it is the IOCs. This is because Nigerian investors are slave drivers.

    “When they take over these companies, they will sack our workers and employ casuals. This they will do through outsourcing. Foreign owners are more concerned about the welfare of workers than Nigerian investors. The problems we have today in the industry are caused by Nigerian- owned companies because they always bring their anti-workers policies into their operations,” Oginni said.

    Union leaders in the industry say the spate of divestment of onshore assets by some IOCs is adversely affecting members in the sector even as they estimated that over 15,000 jobs will be lost before the end of the year.

    Already, two multinational oil companies have informed the oil workers’ unions of their intention to sack half of their workforce towards the end of the first quarter of the year as part of their divestment plan. The companies have met with the leadership of the labour unions and negotiations are on-going as to how payment will be made to the affected workers.

  • NUPENG warns on imminent fuel scarcity

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), said it has watched with great concern the activities of oil majors and multi-nationals in the industry and warns of imminent fuel scarcity if such nefarious activities are not checked as the union would direct its members to embark on nationwide strike without notice.

    In a statement signed by its president, Igwe Achese, the workers stated that the new drive of the oil majors and multi-nationals amounts to sabotage and that if not controlled will lead to an unhealthy atmosphere in the sector. The union therefore calls on President Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister of Labour and the National Assembly to quickly intervene before the bubble bursts. The union noted the degree of impunity and non-conformity with best practices by the multi-nationals in their dealings with contract workers in their system.  It stated that these current actions are all efforts geared towards sabotaging the economy of the country and to impoverish its citizenry, particularly the contract workers in their system.

    NUPENG reiterated that some of the provocative anti-union policies and decisions have remained unresolved despite the mediatory role played by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity and the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.   It added that these include the unresolved transitional issues of the Chevron contract workers who transited into new contracting companies since January, 1 last year, and that 14 months after discussions, some of the issues are yet to be resolved. The union stressed that it has made several attempts of reopening discussions on the outstanding transition issues but all to no avail.  It noted that the understanding reached that National Petroleum Investment Managements Services (NAPIMS) should convene a meeting to resolve the outstanding transition issues as they affect the contract workers has not materialised.

    The statement stated that the new labour contractors are resisting unionisation of the workers with tacit support from Chevron management.  NUPENG revealed that in “recent times, some of the multinational companies have begun a systematic lay-off of our members who work as labour contract workers in their companies and thereafter replace them with service contracts. These companies include Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited and Agip Oil Company Limited. The union alleged that the management of Mobil Producing on November, 30, 2013 laid-off over 200 contract workers under the guise that the contracts have expired and that new contracts will also commence to replace the old ones forthwith.

    NUPENG stated that in the case of the Nigeria Agip Oil Company Limited, over 50 labour contract workers have been pencilled down for termination without adherence to due process, just as the union has also been having a running battle with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and their contractors over unionisation of contract workers, as well as putting in place a Collective Bargaining Agreement. The union protests the massive promotion of all junior staff in SPDC to phase out NUPENG, while leaving only Kingsley Enomate, the NUPENG Branch Chairman sacked by Shell but was forced to be re-instated. “This action is victimisation for trade union activities” Achese said.

    Achese also said NUPENG has unresolved labour issues with Septa Energy and Olgette over unionisation and victimisation of workers and therefore warned that the union shall therefore not be under any further obligation to give any notice of embarking on an industrial action, if these issues are not urgently addressed. The union, he said, has therefore, placed its members nationwide on notice to mobilise for a total shut-down of activities in the oil and gas industry, in protest against these injustices in the industrial relations practices if there is no immediate intervention from the government.

  • SSANU cautions against anti-labour practices

    The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has warned against the perpetuation of anti-labour policies capable of truncating the industrial peace in the universities.

    It issued the warning at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, where it condemned a circular by the National Universities Commission (TUC) for the stoppage of check-off dues for unions.

    The union frowned at government’s insistence to implement the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) in the universities, saying the system does not capture the peculiarities of the tertiary education system.

    However, the communiqué, which was signed by SSANU President, Comrade Samson Ugwoke, commended the government for releasing N30 billion for the payment of the arrears of Earned Allowances as captured in a 2009 agreement signed  between the government and university unions.

    It, however, observed that the N30 billion released and another N10 billion proposed to be released for the part-payment, fell short of the expected arrears which have accrued from July 2009 to date.

    Ugwoke urged the Federal Government to bail-out the universities by paying up all the arrears of the Earned Allowances up to 2013, while the universities should take up the implementation with affect from this year.

    He said another round of negotiation on the 2009 agreement was long overdue, while, and called on the government to rescind its decision to stop the funding of university staff primary schools.

    He warned the governing councils against victimising and interfering with the non-teaching staff of universities.

  • TUC to provide100,000 houses for members

    THE Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) is partnering a developer Rock of Ages Properties Limited to provide 100,000 houses for its members.

    The ground breaking is expected to be performed by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu and the Federal Cpaital Territory (FCT) Minister, Senator Bala Mogammed on Thursday at the Women Development Centre, Abuja.

    The Executive Director of the firm, Mr. Chux Adike, told reporters that the two sites slated for the ceremony in Abuja are AMAC Estate, Lugbe and Deidei, two satellite towns in the FCT.

    The airport road sites measuring over 600 hectares, The Nation learnt, are about seven minutes drive to the city centre, while the over 300 hectares site at Deidei is about 12 minutes drive to Maitama, a high brow area of the capital city.

    Adike said the interesting thing about the project is that apart from his firm and the TUC, other agencies in both public and private sectors, such as Shelter Afrique, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Mortgage Refinancing Company are International Finance Corporation (IFC), are part of the deal.

    On the conditions to be met, he said a contributor to the National Housing Fund (NHF) and a pension contributor should pick a form for N10,000 for the house of his choice.

    The project is that people will be home owners by paying 10 per cent of the house of the choice while the balance will be paid over 10 years.

  • Group seeks fee review in LASU

    A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Education Rights Campaign (ERC), has urged the Lagos State Government to reverse the hike in fees at the Lagos State University (LASU).

    It made the plea in a six-point communiqué signed by its Coordinator, Mr. Hassan Sowetos and Chairman, Save LASU Campaign Committee, Mr Sulaimon Adeyemi, in Lagos.

    “The fee hike is anti-poor and has not led to any noticeable improvement in facilities and teaching infrastructures in LASU. Rather it has led to a sharp decline in the fortunes of LASU with many departments and programs now facing possible rationalisation and closure because of the few number of students applying for them or being able to pick up offer of admission as a result of high fees.

    ‘’The sharp decline in student enrolment has also seriously threatened the jobs of both academic and non-academic staff in the university,” Soweto said.

    He added that without reversing the fees, there is no guarantee that the same crisis or something far higher than that will not occur in future.

    He also called for the immediate re-opening of the campus for students to register and write their examinations, while urging the state government to increase the funding and to ensure the democratic management of the institution. He also advised the government to carry out the repairs of property allegedly vandalised during the protest, with proceeds of the caution fee paid by the students.

    “We say no to victimisation of any student of the institution; payment of reparation and written and publicised apology letters from the university management and the Lagos State government, to the students.

    The group agreed “to begin active mobilisation of all LASU students, parents and members of the public to partner with civil society organisations, the university’s staff unions and trade unions, to redress the injustice contained in the resolutions of the Lagos State House of Assembly’’, insisting that the causes of the protests of January 22 and 23, was the inability of no fewer than 1,292 students to register, and the outrageous fee hike by the government.

    The group said the fee hike, which came into effect in 2011, was anti-poor, and had not led to improvement in facilities in the institution.

    The authorities of the institution on January 24, ordered the indefinite closure of LASU, following a violent protest by students over the earlier-mentioned reasons.