The Nation Newspaper

Category: Labour

  • PENGASSAN, ConocoPhillips on war path over severance pay

    The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has drawn the battle line between it and the management of ConocoPhillips over the oil firms planned divestment from the country.

    The workers want all labour issues, especially payment of severance package and sales bonus, setttled before they will accede to the outright sale of the oil firm’s assets in the country.

    ConocoPhillips, one of the major players in the upstream sector, is planning to divest from the country.

    The workers added that the company should be ready to settle all liabilities to Nigerians working in the firm.

    The workers said they were ready to use all legal means to ensure that ConocoPhillips respects the extant labour laws and other international conventions regarding severance of employees.

    In a statement, its National Public Relations Officer, Comrade Seyi Gambo, said the workers would not hesitate to shut the oil sector if their requests were not addressed.

    According to Gambo, the union is aware that ConocoPhillips would soon approach the Minister of Petroleum Resources and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to seek approval for the sale of the oil blocks to some oil companies, adding that the process for outright sale of its operations in the country too is expected to be completed before the year runs out.

    The union alleged that all expatriate workers of the oil major have been paid their entitlements and redeployed to other countries where the firm operates while neglecting its indigenous workers.

    The union stated: “The Minister of Petroleum Resources and the Group Managing Director of the NNPC should not grant the approval unless the management of ConocoPhillips engages PENGASSAN on the severance of its members before concluding the sale so as not to plunge the buyers into industrial crisis.

    “We are not saying that ConocoPhillips cannot sell their properties or investments in Nigeria, all we are saying is that the company should engage PENGASSAN so as to discuss the severance package and sales bonus of our members in that company.

    The workers lamented that all the efforts they had made to ensure a peaceful resolution of the matter have been rebuffed.

    “We have made several efforts to ensure that the management of ConocoPhillips come to table for discussion, but they arefused to engage the union. Even the company refused to honour the invitation of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Ministry of Labour and Productivity. ConocoPhillips also bluntly refused to yield to the call of the 13-Man Committee set up by the Federal Government to look into various industrial issues affecting the oil and gas industry,” the workers alleged.

    The union alleged that they have letters to the Presidency, Federal Ministers of Petroleum Resources and its Labour and Productivity counterpart, GMD of NNPC, Director, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and other stakeholders on the intention of the firm to short change its members in the outright sale of its oil blocks in the country.

  • Don’t implement Oronsaye’s report, NASU, others warn Fed Govt

    Don’t implement Oronsaye’s report, NASU, others warn Fed Govt

    The Federal Government has been warned against implementing the Oronsaye Committee’s report, which recommended reduction in the size of workforce to cut the cost of governance.

    The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) at its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital warned that the government would cause chaos in the public service if it implements the report.

    The Union, which also gave Federal Government until the end of this month to implement CONTISS 15 for staff of the polytechnics and colleges of education or face another strike, insisted that the report was unacceptable.

    President of the union, Comrade Ladi Iliya, said that prunning the workforce would further worsen the unemployment and insecurity in the country.

    “We do not believe that the objective of the Federal Government transformation agenda is to send workers into employment market,” she said.

    She said reducing government statutory agencies as proposed in the report will result to loss of jobs and throw more people into the already saturated market with its attendant economic and social upheavals.

    “Our position is that any cutting of cost reform that does not address public looting will amount to an exercise in futility, because the present high cost of governance will persist even if all the recommendations of the Oronsaye Committee’s Report are fully implemented,” she further said.

    She charged that the government in its White Paper must exercise caution and discretion in the choice of what to implement or not.

    Rather than cutting the workforce, the labour leader advised that the cost of governance would be reduced considerably if governments execute the war against corruption.

    “We decry the issue of corruption, which is now an acceptable part of every transaction in the country, whether in the public sectors of the economy. The high cost of running the country is a result of the endemic scourge of corrupt practices, which have long bedevilled the system,”she stressed.

  • ITF trains 20,000 youths

    ITF trains 20,000 youths

    The Industrial Training Fund, (ITF) has trained 20,000 youths in the first phase of National Industrial Skills Development Programme, (NISDP). The scheme was introduce by the Federal Government last year.

    ITF Director-General, Prof. Longmas Wapmuk, made this known in Lagos during its interactive session with reporters.

    He said the beneficiaries comprising 1,000 youths per state were trained in various skills, including welding, tiling, piggery, fishery and making of Plastic of Paris (POP).

    He also said the fund collaborated with the Bank of Industry, (BoI) and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, (SMEDAN) for the settlement of the graduates at the end of the training.

    Wapmuk also disclosed that before the end of next year, the ITF would have undergone a metamorphosis that would translate it to a world-class training institute with state-of-the-art-training facilities.

    He said a Brazilian firm had been contracted to handle the restructuring of the Ikeja office to a world-class training institute.

    According to him, plans were on-going to ensure that ITF has training centres in all parts of the country.

    “ITF will establish 37 Industrial Skills Training Center s, one in each State and the Federal Capital Territory, with six Centres of Advanced Skills Training for Employment (CASTE) for skills broadening and up-grading.  We also envision the establishment of three Specialised Centres for Culinary Skills (SCCS) to develop skilled personnel for the hospitality and tourism sector.  In addition, Sector-Specific Skills Training Centres will be established to cater for skills need of Manufacturing, Agric-Agro Allied, Construction, and other critical sectors of the Nigerian economy,” he said.

    He continued: “In each of the 46 centres, training will be offered in 25 trade areas.  Each of the areas will enrol 25 trainees in line with international best practice for effective ‘hands-on’ learning.  The process will generate a total of 29,875 readily employable graduates annually.  The numbers can be increased by running two or three streams of training.  Hundreds of construction workers, instructors, administrators and other personnel that will be employed for the centres will contribute greatly to reduction of unemployment in the economy.”

    He also disclosed that, as part of its expansion plan, the Ikeja area office would be relocated to a much better and spacious location in the heart of ikeja. Specifically, he disclosed that, barring funding constraints, ITF would soon acquire the premises of Nigerian German Chemicals Complex, in Ikeja as the new location for its Ikeja area office.

     

    “We have negotiated with the company. What remains for us is just to meet the payment deadline,” he disclosed.

    Reiterating the organisation’s commitment to the fulfilment of its mandate, especially strengthening of the private sector, the DG disclosed that the institute’s National Industrial Skills Development Programme would train over 37,000 Nigerians by the end the year.

    He added: ”In line with its mandate, the ITF has continuously identified manpower trends and skills gaps in different sectors of the economy.  The research, jointly conducted by the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), published recently, is another milestone in this regard.”

    To address the gaps, the ITF develops and implements programmes, which are implemented through its area offices and training centres across the country. In its 41 years of operation, the ITF has equipped millions of Nigerians with managerial, entrepreneurial and technical/vocational skills.

    The contributions of the beneficiaries of the ITF training programmes to national growth and development cannot be easily quantified,, he added.

    In 2011 alone, the Fund conducted 61 identification of training needs surveys. In response to the needs that were unravelled by the surveys, the Fund generated 27 new training programmes for companies in Nigeria. Overall, the Fund implemented 200 scheduled and unscheduled programmes that attracted over 14,000 participants from 1,433 organisations nationwide”.

    Wapmuk also disclosed that plans were on-going at ensuring the commercialisation of some of the products which were locally assembled by its trainees as part of their projects during training.

     

     

     

  • NLC  to IGP: Call Rivers Police chief to order

    NLC  to IGP: Call Rivers Police chief to order

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have urged the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar, to call the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu, to order over the tear-gassing and brutalisation of new teachers in Port Harcourt.

    The teachers gathered at the instance of the State’s Universal Basic Education (UBE) Board to receive their letters of posting.

    In a statement by its Acting General Secretary, Comrade Chris Uyot, the NLC  said the call by the Congress is necessary as the the conduct of the police was unnecessary, shameful, ill-advised, contemptuous, illegal and a throw-back to the missioner to order to protest the tear-gassing and brutalisation in Port Harcourt of newly-recruited teachers in Rivers State.”

    “We are inclined to believe Mr. Joseph Mbu, the State Commissioner of Police, who directed this heinous attack was not acting at your behest because we recall you came into office with a new code of conduct which Nigerians applauded.

    “We also demand the posting of Mr. Joseph Mbu out of Rivers State for free and unfettered investigation but especially for his excesses, and his inability to inspire confidence in the contending parties in the state.”

    The labour leader however said: “Need we remind overzealous, blood-thirsty and sycophantic officers like Mbu that we are old enough as a nation and sufficiently experienced as citizens of this country to know that it does little good when an officer of his rank compromises his institution or code of conduct in order to appease insular and selfish motives”.

    Also  the Secretary General of the TUC , Comrade Musa Lawal  said the anti-workers’ activities of the police over the Obio/Akpor Local Government Secretariat in Rivers has resulted in work stoppage and non-payment of workers salary for three months, inflicting untoward suffering to working families whose bread winners work in the local government.

     

     

     

  • Union to seek review of minimum wage in Lagos

    The Lagos State Joint Negotiating Council is set to hold a meeting with the state government to demand increase in the minimum wage for workers.

    This was made known by the Lagos State Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) Chairman, Comrade Obafemi Oyenubi.

    He said the meeting was part of an agreement by the government and labour to review workers’ salaries every three years.

    The JNC chairman also said the increment was subject to review would be effected as soon as the state internally generated revenue increases, noting that this has improved tremendously.

    ‘’It is based on these facts that the union wrote the state government to demand for a meeting to discuss on the increment,” Comrade Oyenubi said, ading that the time of the meeting is ripe enough so that there would be no excuse by the government not to include the increment in next year’s budget.

    He said there should not be an excuse from the government to renege on the deal.

    The JNC chief said the welfare of workers is on top of the agenda on the council’s list.

    About 15 unions in the state make up the joint negotiating Council.

    Other issues to be raised at the meeting are the step to step increment, leave allowances, promotion, general welfare package of staff, training and retraining of staff and salaries’arrears.

     

  • NECA to train youths on entrepreneurship

    NECA to train youths on entrepreneurship

    The Nigerian Employers’ Consultative Association’s Network of Entrepreneurial Women (NNEW) has said it is prepared to help more youths to develop their entrepreneurial skills.

    Stakeholders at its yearly training in Lagos said the initiative was to sharpen the business skills of teenagers.

    President of NNEW, Mrs. Lola Okanlawon,  who initiated the workshop, said it was an intervention to address the increasing unemployment rate and reduce miscreants in the country.

    “There is the need to build future leaders, promote and develop entrepreneurship among teenagers.

    “There is also the need to improve our business skills and financial power given the current financial state of the country.

    “The solution is to groom the entrepreneurial skills of children at an early age,”she said.

     

  • Nigeria records increase in child labour

    • 15m in child labour, says ilo

    Despite efforts to curtail the increase in child labour, there seems to be no solution.

    The International Labour Organisation (ILO) says 15 million Nigerian children are involved in child labour.

    To reduce the figure, the Federal Government has adopted a draft policy on child labour.

    The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chukwuemeka Wogu, who presented the draft copy, said its thrust is to address the prevalence of child labour which undermines national development and provides a reservoir of children for easy recruitment.

    Speaking with The Nation, State Controller of Child Labour, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Mrs Nofisatu  Abiola Arogundade, said the ultimate goal of the policy is to eliminate child labour in Nigeria, especially its worst forms by 2015.

    She outlined the highpoints of the policy to include, that those under 16 should not enter into any contract of employment, and that no recruiter should employ young persons.

    The policy prohibits a child from being employed or engaged, except where he is employed by a member of his family on light work of an agricultural, horticultural or domestic character which must have the approval of the minister.

    It prohibits a child from lifting, carrying or moving any heavy object that is likely to injure the child’s physical development; prohibits a young person from being employed to work underground, on machine or on a public holiday.; prohibits a young person from being employed in any employment which is injurious to his health, dangerous or immoral; and prohibits the employment of young persons under 15 from being employed in any vessel except it is a school or training vessel or where only persons of his family are employed; provides that every employer of young persons in an industrial undertaking keeps a register of young persons in his employment indicating age, date of employment and the conditions and nature of their employment which must be produced for inspection when required.

    She said the government is more determined more than ever before, to curb the menace of child labour with increased commitment and political will exhibited through the implementation of President Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other strategies.

    “We realised the need to strengthen competent authorities for effective inspection and monitoring in regulating the employment relationship and protecting the child,” she said.

    ILO said this undermines the national development and provides a reservoir of children for easy recruitment into violent acts.

    It said many of these children are exposed to long hours of work in dangerous and unhealthy environments, carrying too much responsibility for their age. Working in these hazardous conditions with little food, small pay, no education and no medical care establishes a cycle of child rights violation.

    Report from the ILO also stated that child labour had been made worse in recent times because some of these children have no solid background, no education and no parental care.

    In the circumstances, they become street hawkers. They work in the streets during the day, and work even at night in some cases. Such lifestyles become very dangerous and nomadic types of life.

    There is little wonder therefore, that the future of these children is very dark and bleak.

    In the past, children worked with their families, learning skills they would need as adults.

    But today, children are forced to work for their own and their family’s survival. The money earned by ‘children workers’ has become a significant part of the family income.

    One of the most heart-breaking reminders that we are a poor country is the inundation of children on our streets selling different items to passers-by. From Lagos to Benin, Kano to Enugu, children under the age of 18, through circumstances beyond their control, are left to fend for themselves, and often for their parents as well, through the money they make working on the streets.

    The Technical Adviser, ILO, Mr Krishna Kukkikate, called for concerted and joint action at the national and international levels to eliminate child labour in domestic work.

    “We need a robust legal framework to clearly identify, prevent and eliminate child labour in domestic work, and to provide decent working conditions to adolescents when they can legally work,” he said.

     

  • ILO urges focus on workers’ safety

    ILO urges focus on workers’ safety

    The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has called on the Federal, state and local governments to make the health and safety of their workers a priority, stressing that recent statistics on the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate among adults in the world shows that Nigeria has the second largest number of people living with disease

    ILO-HIV Technical expert, Dr. Runo Onosode, who made the call in Lagos while presenting the keynote address on HIV/AIDS in the workplace and link to occupational safety and Health, at the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), in Lagos, said the programme was a collaboration between Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NISTF) and Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA).

    She said: “We commend the efforts of NSITF in collaboration with NECA to ensuing safety in the workplace in the country because it is on record that Nigeria has the second-largest number of people living with HIV as the prevalence rate among adults’ ages 15 to 49 is 0.9 per cent.”

    “The human cost of this daily adversity is vast and the economic burden of poor occupational safety and health practices is estimated at four per cent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) each year that needs urgent attention like the ongoing enlightenment forum.”

    Onosode , who emphasised that youth and young adults in Nigeria are more vulnerable to HIV, with young women at higher risk than young men, however, said: “There are many risk factors that have contributed to the spread of HIV, including prostitution, high-risk practices among itinerant workers, high prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI), clandestine high-risk heterosexual and homosexual practices, international trafficking of women and irregular blood screening.”

    Chairman, NSITF, Dr Ngozi Olejeme, said the committee set up last year on workplace safety would continue to implement the safe work intervention project of the fund.

    “The joint committee will continue to identify and intervene appropriately in improving the health and safety infrastructure of companies/employers, which facilities fall below acceptable standards in the country,” she said.

    NECA’sDirector-General, Mr Mr Olusegun Oshinowo stressed that the project was inspired by the realisation that human capacity was the most valuable asset in any business.

    “To any business, the human capital is the most valuable asset and as your most valuable asset, common sense and enlightened self-interest dictates that you pay special attention to that very valuable asset. That is what has informed NECA’s interest in this project,” he said.

    Also, the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Clement Ilo who represented the Minister of Labour and Productivity Emeka Wogu emphasised the importance of human capital development to the development of any nation.

    He however pledged the commitment of the ministry to ensuring the successful completion of the project.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • IGU, NUPENG laud Dangote’s $9b investment in refinery

    • Refinery to employ 85,000 workers

    The Dangote Group’s $9 billion investment in oil refinery and petro-chemicals, has received commendation of the African Region of the Industrial Global Union (IGU).

    The African Region Chairman, Issa Aremu said millions of private sector workers organised in national and global unions in Africa identify with the investment, particularly the patriotism of the President/Chief Executive of Dangote Group of industries, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

    Aremu said the signing of deal was made possible because of the Federal Government’s efforts at promoting backward integration policy and buoyed by its job creation potential.

    He said: “It is significant that the refinery will be Nigeria’s first private and Africa’s largest petroleum refinery with a projected daily production output of 400,000 barrels a day, the same capacity of the combined four Nigerian government-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna, which we all know, operate at less than 30 per cent of their capacity. Millions of private sector workers, organised in national and global unions in Africa, identify with the investment.”

    He lamented that though Africa is a resource rich continent, it has low levels of industrialisation, with materials being exported in their raw form, adding that labour is excited that the Dangote Group of industries is changing the narrative of the continent from that of ‘resource curse’ to resource beneficiation, value addition and mass employment through industrialisation and internal articulation of the African economy. Industrialisation is it for Nigeria if it must be part of the leading economies of the world, to get millions of youth to work, keep them out of violence and crime and above all, out of poverty.”

    Aremu said the natural resources of Africa should be for the welfare of all Africans, not for the profiting of a few, especially foreign capitalists, adding that this refinery will definitely decrease Nigeria’s scandalous unacceptable dependence on oil imports.

    In a related development, the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) said it is delighted over the proposed refinery/petro-chemical and fertiliser complex expected to start production in 2016.

    In a statement its Secretary, Isaac Aberare, said the investment would go a long way in ending the perennial scarcity of petroleum products and put an end to the current massive importation of products.

    While commending Dangote for the project, Aberare called on other private investors and the multinational oil companies, to take a cue from the renowned industrialist, against the drop of the fact that 18 firms were granted licences to establish refineries under the Obasanjo regime and they did not do anything.

    The statement reads: “The refinery and petrochemical plant will add value to the oil and gas industry, which is at present experiencing a downturn and save the use of scarce foreign exchange to procure imported fuel and materials. The Dangote Refinery will turn the tide, as it will also become a major foreign exchange earner in the export of refined petroleum products.

    “The Union believes that the refinery, when it finally makes a debut in 2016, will reduce or eliminate products scarcity in the country. We, therefore, call on the other investors and the multinational oil companies to take a cue from Dangote, especially 18 firms that were granted licences to establish refineries about three years ago and have not made any move to even clear the sites.”

    Dangote said about 8,000 engineers would be needed for the take-off of the $9billion Dangote Refinery/Fertiliser plant in Ondo State.

    Speaking in Abuja, Dangote said the project, when completed, would provide jobs for 85,000 Nigerians.

    He said the group had secured a $3.3 billion loan from a consortium of banks for the project.

    According to him, importation of petroleum products will end by 2016 as the plant will start production in the next three years.

     

     

     

     

  • NITEL liquidation: Workers want inclusion in bidding

    The Nigerian Telecommunication Limited (NITEL) branch of the Senior Staff Association of Communication Transport and Corporation (SSACTAC) said it would participate in the bidding of the guided liquidation of the company proposed by the Federal Government.

    Its President, Comrade Elias Kaza, told The Nation that SSACTAC has decided to participate in the bidding as stakeholders, and called on its members to support the government, noting that as a technical team, they were ready to partner with whoever is coming as co-investors.

    He said the union is putting finishing touches to their plan, since they are aware that the guided privatisation process will take-off soon.

    “That is why we have come here to put our position in place, we believe this time around, it is going to be successful,” he said.

    Elias, who is also the National Adviser of the parent body of Trade Union Movement, said the purpose of the meeting was to brainstorm on the forthcoming guided liquidation of NITEL as proposed by the Federal Government.

    “We have come here to examine and X-ray the past attempts that have been made to privatise NITEL and the possibility of the success of the guided liquidation. We have resolved as members of the entire workforce in NITEL to support government’s intention to effectively and finally privatise NITEL as we continue to notice the rusting away of the system all over the country.

    He said it is not in the interest of Nigeria to see the former national carrier’s assets that could be meaningful to national economic grow, rusting away.

    “So, we are in support so that we can successfully conclude this long process of privatisation of NITEL,” he said.

    On outstanding salaries of NITEL workers, he said in July, the Federal Government released funds for payment of 15months salaries to all workers of NITEL and MTEL, adding that subsequently, their monthly salaries are being paid by the Accountant- General’s office.

    He said the outstanding is the casual workers entitlement which is still in the office of the Vice President, we have been assured that very soon, they will be sorted out,” he said.

    He urged the government to contribute to the productivity of the workers by giving them the wherewithal with which to work, saying the workers have conveyed their decision to the government.

    The union leader said the worth of NITEL has diminished greatly, fearing that not much can be realised from its liquidation. “The amount that would be realised from its sale would not be enough to pay off the creditors. All the equipment have deteriorated and become scraps due to disuse,” Elias said.

    In a statement, the association said that in the alternative, if government could not revive the distressed company, it could establish another company similar to NITEL. Government needs to revive NITEL so that it would be a national carrier to checkmate the excesses of Global System of Mobile communication (GSM) operators in the country.

    “If they cannot revive NITEL, they should set up another company to checkmate the high tariff charged by GSM operators”.

    It was also stated that there were about 400 workers left in the distressed organisation (NITEL) whose welfare needed to be considered.

    The Federal Government planned to re-start the sale of NITEL through a guided liquidation process. The National Council on Privatisation (NCP) said that this would begin with the appointment of a liquidator.

    In 2010, many foreign companies bid for the telecoms firm but the winners could not pay on time.