The Nation Newspaper

Category: Labour

  • ‘Use local contractors to save funds’

    General Secretary, National Union of Civil Engineering, Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW), Mr Babatunde Liadi, has advised the Federal Government to use local contractors.

    Liadi, who gave the advice during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, added that using local contractors would assist in creating more jobs and saving it foreign exchange.

    “If the Federal Government can use more of our local engineering firms in the ongoing rehabilitation of roads, it will assist the economy and save money on foreign reserve.

    “Before now our roads were death traps, killing and maiming many Nigerians. The bad roads also give room to hoodlums and armed robbers to operate, “ Liadi said.

    He commended the Federal Government’s decision to revoke the concession agreement for the expansion, repair and maintenance of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway granted to Bi-Courtney Highway Services.

    He said though the road had been re-awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc and RCC, the new contractors should hasten the re-construction and do a good job.

    “Good roads are part of the dividends of democracy. If we have good roads, the number of accidents will be reduced and more lives will be saved, “ he said.

    Liadi advised state governments to embark on repairs and maintenance of roads and other infrastructure in their areas.

    He urged governments, especially states and local governments to release funds for contracts that have been certified completed.

    He said payment of completed contracts would protect workers, reduce unemployment and the number of companies being shut as a result of inability to pay salaries.

    Liadi said from January next year, the union would protest the use of casual labour and other anti-labour practices by employers.

  • Civil servants ask lawmakers to stop govt’s borrowing

    The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has called on the National Assembly to stop Federal Government’s plans to borrow to execute projects in the country.

    ASCSN’s President Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama stated this at an interactive session with reporters after the asociation’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Lagos.

    He said: “We hereby challenge NASS to be more resolute in its oversight function to stop not at merely criticising the borrowing plans of the Executive arm, but to protect present and coming generations by forbiding new loans plans under any guise, and insist on prudent management of our resources through diligent performance of their legislative duties.

    “We are worried that we will soon be back in the forest of mounting debts that may this time around consume the entire country because from records, Nigeria is negotiating a new debt deal of about $7.46billion, which has nothing  to show that our earning from daily crude oil sales is being judiciously used.

    “We also call on well-meaning Nigerians, including the labour movement to reject this loan move as keeping quiet may translate into mortgaging the future of our unborn children,” he further said.

    Kaigama, who said the nation’s leaders have bad track records on borrowed money for executing projects, said: “The International Monetary Fund (IMF) report reveals that for every N100 Nigeria spends as service, about N80 goes into private pockets.”

    According to him, ASCSN insists on  Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), both at the federal and state levels, to embrace trade union best practices and act proactively to promote industrial harmony in the system, adding that the use of strikes to address labour issues was not the best.

    He advised MDAs, particularly the Federal Ministry of Education, to embrace dialogue with labour, it is done in other parts of the world.

    ”I wish to recall that in 2009 the leadership of this union and the management of the Federal Ministry of Education agreed to institutionalise quarterly meetings where outstanding labour issues and nascent ones including the vexed issues of non-payment of promotion arrears and inappropriate placement of officers after promotion will be discussed and amicably resolved in line with contemporary trade union best practice,” he said.

    He noted that the formulation and implementation of policies without taking input from stakeholders, is not in tandem with democratic cultures.

    “It is, indeed, surprising that a country that wants to be among the best 20 economies in the world by 2020 cannot guarantee basic social needs, such as electricity, potable water, and good road network, decent housing, and healthcare delivery, affordable and qualitative education, among others for its citizenry eight years to the envisaged Eldorado.”

    “We call on the federal, state and local government to open up more frontiers of employment opportunities to engage millions of idle youths who are willing and eager to earn a living because there is no doubt that if the various government embark on massive road construction, building of housing estates, extensive agriculture farm projects, there will be lots of job opportunities for the able-bodied youth to be productively engaged,“ he said.

    He, however, pleaded with them to unit e, preach love and avoid acrimonious tendencies that would not add value to the system.

  • Labour ministry’ll implement budget, says Wogu

    ALTHOUGH it is less than a month for this year to end, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu has assured that the ministry would implement fully the budget.

    The Minister said in Abuja, during the 2013 budget defence and performance presentation of the current budget before a Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives on Labour and Employment.

    In a statement by Mr Samuel Olowookere, the Assistant Director (Press) of the ministry, Wogu said the ministry was on track to achieve its target by the end of this year.

    It added that the ministry had made some achievements in some areas as stipulated in the performance contract being driven by the key indicators.

    The statement said the ministry had achieved eight out of 12 per cent on the provision of industrial peace and harmony.

    It said the ministry had strengthened employment policies as no fewer than 2,556 jobs were generated by 639 enterprises under the Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP).

    It added that the ministry and its agencies had complied with the budgetary provision of 2012.

    The statement said Senator Wilson Ake, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity, expressed satisfaction with the performance of the ministry.

    It said Hon Ayi Essien, the Chairman, House Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity, promised to examine the ministry’s new budget.

  • Ex-banker suspends hunger strike after Fashola’s appeal

    A former employee of Hallmark Bank Plc Mr Olubiyi Odunaro, who has been on hunger strike for 14 days over non-payment of his terminal benefits has suspended his action following an appeal by the Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola.

    The governor promised to intervene in the human rights aspect of the matter before Odunaro agreed to suspend the action.

    A delegation from Fashola, along with officials from the Lagos office of the Public Complaints Commission urged Odunaro to suspend the strike.

    Fashola’s Senior Special Assistant on Justice Sector Reforms, Lanre Akinsola, who ledof governemnt officials to the tent Odunaro had turned to his home on Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Lagos, promised to intervene.

    Akinsola said: “The attention of the Lagos State Government was drawn to the various media reports about the protest being embarked upon by Odunaro and it’s quite pathetic.

    “Governor Fashola, who was worried about his state of health, formed an inter-ministerial committee comprising medical, legal and welfare officials and directed me to lead the team to  persuade him to end his hunger strike.

    “As a responsible government, we don’t want a dead casualty in our hands as a result of this protest. Once he ends this protest, we would first provide him medical service while the Lagos State Directorate of Citizens Rights would engage the authorities concerned in a comprehensive dialogue.”

    Akinsola said the Lagos State Attorney- General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye, had promised free legal services to Odunaro and other ex-workers of non-consolidated banks seeking the payment of their entitlements if the negotiations become unfruitful.

    In his words, “We will mediate and talk to the right people and we believe reason will prevail in this matter and if not, lawyers from the Lagos State Ministry of Justice will work in conjunction with the lawyer of the group and ensure that justice prevails and everyone of them gets their entitlement.”

  • SSANU may reject report on education sector

    SENIOR university workers have told the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayatu Rufa’i, that unless they are included in the NEEDS Committee she set up to investigate the problems in the education sector, they may reject its report.

    The General Secretary, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Comrade Promise Adewusi, said the union was not happy with the Minister on the constitution of the committee because his colleagues were not part of it.

    He said the union would reject the report of any committee that marginalised its members.

    He said: “We urge President Jonathan to be suspicious and cautious of this report and call for a more all inclusive committee to establish the real reason for the rot. We have always maintained that it is not just about financing. There has been relative industrial peace in the universities. The universities are gradually returning to normal calendar. SSANU is determined to further entrench this welcome development. Nobody should be allowed to truncate this because of egoistic inclinations. One wonders what has become of the various visitation panels on the rot inthe system.

    “It is obvious but very unfortunate that the Minister is programming the universities for another implosion. The President Jonathan administration had managed to return relative industrial peace to the campuses through his equitable resolution of some long standing schisms in university administrations. But with the way the Education Minister is proceeding now, it is certain she is intended to rubbish all of that and return the campuses to turbulence.

    “When she set up the so called NEEDS committee, the non-teaching staff unions had complained about their non-inclusion for a more rational and balanced report. She had said it was an oversight which would be corrected. One is, therefore, surprised to read  snippets of a report already skewed against the non-teaching staff without fair hearing. What kind of equity or natural justice will suggest shaving a man’s head in his absence? How come the Minister is making persons judges in their own case without a neutral opinion or hearing from the other party. Those who have introduced politics of greed and selfishness into the university system which has resulted in the rot must not be allowed to use this so called report as a smokescreen to cover their tracks and witch-hunt others.”

  • More ex-militants get employment

    ABOUT 113 former militants have been offered employment in maritime, welding and fabrication companies at home and abroad, the Presidential Amnesty Office (PAO) has said.

    In a statement signed by Mr Daniel Alabrah, PAO’s Head of Media and Communication, it stated that Proclad Group of Companies in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) offered employment to 30 of the 150 ex-militants, who were trained by the Proclad Academy because of their conduct and performance.

    “The office, in collaboration with the International Centre for Non-violence and Peace Development (ICNPD), secured the employment through a partnership with Proclad Academy.

    “Mr Kingley Kuku, who is the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and the Chairman of PAO, also facilitated the immediate employment of 40 maritime trainees by the Century Energy Group in Nigeria,” the statement said.

    It said the office also offered employment to another 24 maritime trainees

    “Four welding and fabrication trainees have been employed in Nigeria by Plants and Processing Service Company, while five were offered jobs in South Africa by Ashland Investment Services.

    “Ten were offered employment by Learning Resources in Ghana,” the statement added.

    It added that the office was working with partners and stakeholders in the Niger Delta and abroad to employ some of the ex-militants who had successfully completed their training.

    The office urged companies in the Niger Delta to comply with the Local Content Law by employing graduating students under the programme to enable them to contribute their quota to the development of the country.

    It will be recalled that out of the 26,358 former militants whohad been documented, 12,000 had been trained.

  • My people want me as senator in 2015, says Akpabio

    My people want me as senator in 2015, says Akpabio

    Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State yesterday said his people from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District have asked him to represent them at the Senate in 2015.

    The governor, while speaking during an interview with The Nation on Sunday at the newly constructed Government Office in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, said his people asked him not to retire politically but go ahead to represent them in Abuja.

    The Nation on Sunday had a few months back exclusively reported that the governor was eyeing the Senate.

    When asked what he would be doing after the expiration of his tenure in 2015, Akpabio said: “By the grace of God, I will see myself as a Senator in 2015. My people have approached me and told me not to retire politically. They said I should go and become a Senator and I have accepted their request.”

    While commenting on the state of development in the state, the governor said his government has changed the face of infrastructural development in the state, stressing that he would want anybody that would take over from him to do more for the people.

    The governor traced the source of the country’s problem not to lack of natural resources but how to utilise the resources for the betterment of the citizenry.

    According to the governor, without true federalism, there won’t be real progress. He said there was a need to decentralise the policing system in the country.

    He said: “Without true federalism, there will never be real progress in Nigeria. We must begin to look at how to decentralise the policing system because the current one is not working.

    “We shouldn’t be afraid that a governor will use state police wrongly. Also we should also remove some things on the exclusive and allow state to legislate.”

    Akpabio, who will turn 50 on December 9, said the journey so far has been a mixture of sadness and joy.

    He said: “I owe a lot to my wife. I didn’t see myself as a successful man at 50 because I am still working. My children have also given me support. I thank them for their sacrifice.”

  • NERC begins training for electricity workers

    The National Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC) has begun a compulsory training programme for management staff of electricity companies in the country.

    The “PHCN Management Orientation by NERC” took off in Kaduna. The Managing Director, Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, Mallam Idris Mohammed said the retreat was aimed at appraising the power sector in the country.

    He said input from the event would add value to the ongoing reform in the power sector. “For the reform to be achieved we need to brace up ourselves with adequate information on how to move the electricity companies forward.

    “As operators of the electricity system, we need to discuss and evolve best strategies and practices that would improve power supply in Nigeria.” The managing director said the retreat would also review the existing market structure to ensure optimal utilisation of resources in the provision of electricity.

    He urged the participants to make useful contributions that would have positive impact on the industry. Also speaking, Mr Samuel Omelo, an Assistant General Manager of the company, described the training as timely. He said the industry has become dynamic and challenging, adding: “this is the time to look at our past and proffer solution to the numerous challenges ahead”.

    Mr Baba Limmy-Omar, the Assistant General Manager, Public Affairs, told The Nation at retreat that the NERC has developed guidelines and regulations to govern bulk electricity generation and procurement. “This framework establishes a systematic, transparent and competitive process for procuring additional electric generation capacity at least cost to consumers,” he said.

  • NUPENG threatens strike over sack in Shell

    • We’re divesting from some assets, says oil giant

     

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has called for the reinstatement of its members sacked by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

    In a statement signed by the union’s Deputy President, Comrade John Eddy Ossai and Acting General Secretary, Comrade Isaac Aberare, the union condemned the “victimisation and severance of its officials in the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC)”

    The call for the recall of the workers was made in view of the on-going dialogue by the Labour Minister, Chief Emeka Wogu and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), to resolve the matter.

    SPDC, however, denied the accusations of anti-union policies targeted at NUPENG members in its fold.

    The union officials warned that “if the SPDC management does not reinstate the union officials as it is a clear case of intimidation, harassment and victimisation, the industrial action that will follow by the union will be serious, as an injury to one, is an injury to all.”

    The statement reads in part: “The Union reiterates that the NUPENG SPDC caretaker committee Chairman, Comrade Enomate Kingsley and 16 other

    Union members affected by the severance should immediately be reinstated in the interest of industrial peace and harmony.

    “NUPENG  states that it dissolved the executive committee of Shell Branch of NUPENG for anti-union activities and set up a care-taker committee to run the affairs of the union in the interim.

    “It adds that the management of SPDC refused to recognise the care-taker committee and have since been planning to victimise the union officials.

    “The union stresses that SPDC planned to outsource the fire department where majority of the workers are based notwithstanding the union’s vehement opposition to the plan.

    ‘’To actualise their plan, the SPDC management transferred the former Chairman, Comrade Fidelis Okandeji, expelled by the union for anti-union activities and his loyalists out of the department leaving members of the caretaker committee vulnerable while hiding under the guise of divestment and management business decision to severe the union officials.”

    The statement further said NUPENG leadership was taken aback when on October, 22, 2012, the SPDC management carried out their threat and distributed severance letters to the Union officials including the Chairman of the caretaker Committee, Comrade Enomate Kingsley.

    NUPENG described this as a case of victimisation for Union activities and vowed to resist it.

    The union noted that contract workers in SPDC will also be affected. It said: “The management has refused to enter negotiation on collective bargaining agreement with the union and that means contract workers who served ten years and above will go with nothing.”

    In its statement, signed by the company’s spokesman, Mr Precious Okolobo, SPDC said it has no disagreement with NUPENG members.

    Okolobo said allegations of interference and intimidation of union officials made in some media reports against SPDC by some members of the union outside its employment, were false and baseless.

    “The fact is that SPDC is divesting from a number of its assets in Western Niger Delta as agreed by joint venture partners and approved by the Federal Government. This is part of a portfolio realignment that will also help to grow indigenous capacity in the oil and gas industry.

    “Staff and unions have been briefed on the exercise, including the implications for the structure of the business in Western operations. Affected staff are being compensated in line with company policies.

    ”We are also aware that there is a dispute between national NUPENG and the Shell Branch of the union, which is the subject of a court case. The court order is for all parties to maintain the status quo and SPDC is complying with that order,” he said.

  • Trustfund seeks firms’ compliance with PRA

    The Trustfund Pensions Plc has urged companies to comply with the Pension Reform Act by remitting workers deducted pension funds to appropriate administrators.

    The Fund at its Annual General Meeting in Abuja lamented non-compliance with the PRA by many companies, and non-challant attitude of some state governments to the provisions of the Act.

    The Chairman of the Fund, Mrs Ngozi Olejeme, urged the National Pension Commission (PenCom) to continue to review and upgrade its compliance and monitoring oversight functions.

    “Our company will remain proactive in monitoring the developments, especially in the state, while sustaining our existing clientele base in that segment.” said Olejeme.

    Trustfund recorded N353 million profit, indicating an increase of 64 per cent after tax over the N215 million made in 2010.

    Olejeme described the 64 per cent increase in profit as modest. “We must acknowledge the level of cost control and cost reduction approach adopted by the management team for an efficient resource utilisation, which we hope would be sustained,” she said.

    The chairman said Trustfund is aspiring to be the leader in funds management hence its performance under its Fund Under Management (FUM).

    The company’s gross earnings grew from N1.735 billion in 2010 to N1.994 billion in 2011, representing a 22.2 per cent increase over the previous year.

    Olejeme said the company remained unalloyed in setting the pace in compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.

    She added that Trustfund was built on strong corporate governance practice, which ensures checks and balances among the different board committees.

    Trustfund was commended by its shareholders over an increase in share dividend.

    Olejeme said the board has approved a dividend of N15 per N1 share.