The Nation Newspaper

Category: Labour

  • Minimum Wage stalemate: Labour chiefs blow hot

    Following the deadlocked meeting between the Federal Government and the Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council over the minimum wage early this week, the organised labour has threatened to embark on a strike, if the government fails to implement the proposed new wage, reports TOBA AGBOOLA

    Living in Nigeria is tough, especially for those born without a sliver spoon. While the cost of living is going up, inflation and double digit interest rates have further made a bad situation worse, thereby reducing the purchasing power of average citizens.

    To this end, people have to pay through their nose to get needed goods and services in an atmosphere where companies are paying peanuts to their workers. In a week or so, the salary is gone and yet there are mandatory needs yet to be met, making workers to rely on family assistance for survival.

    To correct this anomaly, the Federal Government and the labour unions agreed to N30,000 new minimum wage, an amount considered the minimum to meet some basic necessities of workers.

    Sadly, there are still disagreements over the wage implementation.

    The meeting between the  Federal Government and the Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council over the implementation of the N30,000 new minimum wage and the consequential adjustment in the workers’ salary suffered another setback as both parties failed to reach an agreement despite minor adjustments in their separate positions.

    The Federal Government had on May 14, this year inaugurated the Relativity/Consequential Adjustment Committee, which, in turn, set up a Technical Sub-Committee to work out the template for the adjustment of salaries of public sector employees.

    The negotiation on the consequential adjustment was earlier adjourned to September 4, to allow the government’s team brief President Muhammadu Buhari, and it was held on Monday, September 16.

    During the meeting, chaired by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, the government shifted from its earlier position of 9.5 per cent to 11 per cent for grade levels seven to 14 and 6.5 per cent from 5.5 per cent for levels 15 to 17.

    But the workers have insisted that the government should adjust the salaries of workers on grade levels 07 to 14 by 30 per cent and those on levels 15 to 17 by 25 per cent, having stepped down to 29 per cent from 30 per cent for grade levels 7 to 14 and 24 from 25 per cent for levels 15 to 17.

    However, the labour has expressed readiness to begin an industrial action any moment, following the impasse.

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    A civil servant, Solomon Michael, said: “I wish the Federal Government will conclude negotiations on the implementation of a new minimum wage so that I will know that my salary will rise to be able to cater for my kids.”

    The President, Medical and Health Workers Union, Biobelemoye Joshua, said the organised labour would not allow the government to use the minimum wage issue to score political point, as labour was ready to embark on the proposed strike.

    According to him, workers cannot afford to wait for the implementation of the new minimum wage in view of economic realities as their monthly take-home pay can no longer support their demands.

    “The issue of minimum wage is legitimate to the Nigerian worker. It is expected that five years down the line, employers are supposed to sit down with their employees represented by trade unions to review their wages. We are two years behind schedule on this. The dollar rate when the last minimum wage came into being was N150. It has now more than doubled that figure,” he said.

    Corroborating him, an analyst, Mr Salihu Lukman, said issues of minimum wage are popular largely because, in some ways, the benefits are far beyond the target beneficiaries. “This is because of the consequential effect of wage adjustments for other categories of workers and citizens as a result of increasing the minimum wage,’’ he explained.

    Labour, under the auspices of the Trade Union Side  (TUS) of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), said it would give no further notice to the Federal Government before millions of its members at the federal and 36 states public services commence strike over the non-implementation of the new wage and appropriate consequential adjustment.

    Expressing dismay over the turn of events, TUS Acting Chairman, Comrade Anchaver Simon, said it had become imperative to alert the public that efforts by the trade unions to persuade the government to implement the new N30,000 monthly national minimum wage signed into Law by President Muhammadu Buhari on April 18, this year with appropriate consequential adjustment, had been frustrated  by the government side.

    According to him, the government’s action was an open invitation for industrial action, since workers were already engulfed in fear and agitations whether their accumulated arrears would be paid when talks were finally concluded.

    ”The Consequential Adjustment Committee two weeks ago agreed that the proposal of the TUS that salary of officers on grade levels 07-14 should be increased by 29 per cent and those of officers on grade levels 15-17 by 24 per cent vis-a-vis that of government side of 10 per cent for officers on Grade Levels 07-14, 5.5 per cent for those on Grade Level 15-17 should be forwarded to Buhari to see the patriotic position of labour and approved appropriate consequential adjustment accordingly.

    He said what had become clear was that the government side was not serious about paying millions of workers a new national minimum wage and adequate consequential adjustment but preferred taking the Trade Unions for a ride.

    He said as a responsible Trade Union, the TUS had given the government enough time to come to term with workers demand but it appeared that the only language necessary for government to act was a strike action.

    The union recalled that initially it recommended 66.6 per cent across board so as to maintain existing relativity in emoluments of public servants, but the government side argued that the wage bill would be too high.

    “Consequently, the TUS scaled its demand downward by suggesting that officers on grade levels 07-14 should receive 30 per cent pay rise while those on grade levels 15-17 should get 25 per cent, the government side proposed 9.5 per cent for grade levels 07-14 and five per cent for grade levels 15-17.

    “Both parties agreed thereafter to forward the two positions to the plenary session of the enlarged Consequential Adjustment Committee for consideration,” he said.

    The union leader stated that to their surprise, when the committee reconvened on June 27, this year, the government side introduced a strange clause and argued that the term of reference of the panel was to apply the subhead of emoluments contained in the 2019 Budget across board to pay the minimum wage which the TUS objected to.

    “It is difficult to understand why the political appointees who cart millions of naira away every month are determined that Nigerian workers must not get N30,000 monthly minimum wage with fair consequential adjustment.

    “As we write, Nigeria is rated the poorest country in the whole world and yet Government is refusing to implement a minimum wage for Nigerian workers to lift millions of citizens out of poverty,” he said.

    The Secretary of the JNPSNC, Alade Lawal, said labour would decide on the next line of action towards the issue of the minimum wage.

    He maintained that very soon, Nigerians would be informed on the next step to take.

    Lawal said: “The meeting is deadlocked; we found out that the Federal Government officials are not serious about it at all, we are suspecting foul play or a hidden agenda somewhere. So, we have decided to report the development to our principals, including the labour unions. Nigerians will be adequately briefed of our next line of action very shortly.”

    NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, warned that workers were disturbed over the delay in implementing the new minimum wage.

    Wabba said though the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) were not involved in the negotiations, they would step in if the disagreement on the modality for the implementation of the consequential adjustment persisted.

    Wabba said the workers had waited long enough, adding that people would want to see an end for its full implementation without further delay.

    Wabba stated that it was the desire of organised labour that this becomes a reality. “For anybody on that table to say that labour is the one delaying the process, he/she is not saying the obvious. This is because I learnt that the person that made the statement is the chairman of the technical committee; so clearly speaking, I think it is not in good faith,” he said.

    “I think also that workers are becoming very concerned, including the NLC because the process must actually have an end where workers will benefit. How can a worker or unions that are at the receiving end be the ones delaying the process.

    “`For us as a union we wanted this money to be in the workers’ pockets long before now,’’ he said.

    Former  General Secretary of NLC, Comrade Peter Ozo-Eson, also said the congress was keenly monitoring developments in states as regards the roll out of the implementation guidelines of the approved new minimum wage.

    “Having waited for so long, we feel that the government should do the needful and conclude the negotiations on the consequential adjustment to enable the commencement of implementation of the new minimum wage. Any bureaucratic delay will not be in the interest of labour peace,” he said.

  • Obaseki’s initiative to fix points of failure on roads kicks off

    The Edo State Government has ordered an audit of points of failure on roads across the state to ascertain the level of damage and repairs needed, as part of the state government’s continued strategy to maintain public infrastructure in the state.

    In a statement, Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said the audit became necessary as the torrential rains have caused damage on some roads in the state and there is a need to take inventory so as to devise a responsive strategy to maintaining the affected roads in the state.

    The state has been inundated with heavy downpour in the past few months which resulted in momentary flooding in parts of the state. The resulting flood affected some road projects, which now require some maintenance work.

    According to the governor’s aide, “We have experienced torrential rains in the state in the past few weeks and there is no denying that this is taking a toll on the roads. So, the governor has ordered the relevant ministries to take an audit of the affected roads so we can do remedial work on them so that they are fit and proper for public use.”

    READ ALSO: ‘Obaseki’ll win re-election without Oshiomhole’

    He noted that the Ministries of Infrastructure; Physical Planning and Urban Development and Environment and Sustainability have been given marching orders to ensure they work with the contractors working on different roads across the state to ensure that the audit is holistic, to ensure a thorough job is done.

    The state government embarked on an expansive infrastructure and urban renewal drive in the last three years that has seen the construction and reconstruction of hundreds of roads across the state, including urban centers and in rural areas.

  • NECA: regulators stifling OPS growth

    The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has accused regulatory bodies of constituting a clog in the wheel of progress of the Organised Private Sector (OPS).

    The association, during a visit to  Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja,  lamented that the regulators were working at cross purposes.

    The association warned that except the vision behind the Ease of Doing Business was allowed to work, they might be forced to go to court to seek redress, because of the non-accessibility of some of the chief executives of some regulatory bodies, who put spanners in the work.

    NECA Director-General Timothy Olawale said the meeting focused on NECA’s concerns on issues of competitiveness of business and sustainability in Nigeria.

    “There are several of them, but key among them, are the issue of regulatory bodies that are working at cross purpose.

    “The Ease of doing Business that is being championed by the Office of the Vice President and Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC). What we are saying is that we may not have access to Office of the Vice President every now and then to escalate issues for his attention.

    “While also we do not want to be running to the court to seek relief because of the issue of non-accessibility of some of the chief executives of some regulatory bodies, we want a situation where there is a clearing desk in the Office of the Vice President, where we can escalate these issues and they can be resolved amicably, in the interest of national development and national economy.

    “As a matter of fact, many businesses have been made, but what we are saying is that it is not all regulatory bodies of government that are on the same page with government on the desirables,’’ he said.

    He added that there were instances where some of the regulatory bodies shut businesses without recourse to dialogue and instances where there were infractions or interventions from the agencies of government outside their enabling Act.

    Olawale maintained that the rule of law must be respected.

    “Even when you have cases in court and there are restraining orders, we have instances where some of the regulatory bodies go against such orders and still go ahead to disrupt businesses.

    “The Vice President has said it is something that is doable. The setting up of a clearing desk where these issues can be escalated because he is very desirous of working closely with the private sector and all these issues are issues that can be taken on board,” Olawale said.

    On minimum wage, he urged the government and labour unions to adopt the principle of give and take as it was very important. He said there was need to arrive at a win-win situation.

    He warned that if the negotiation dragged on for too long, it may lead to workers going on strike, an action which he warned that the economy cannot afford.

    He said: “The economy cannot afford another round of strike. Right now, the economy is fragile, even oils is having problem and anything that will destabilise the economy will take us back to recession.”

  • Fed Govt adopts Sept 16 as National ID Day

    The Federal Government  has approved the recognition and observance of September 16 of every year as National Identity Day. It said it is in line with the  United Nations (UN) position on  the contribution of dates to the achievement of the purposes of its Charter to promote action on political, social, cultural, humanitarian/human rights issues,

    This is a move to create awareness among the citizens on the importance of  identification as a modern tool for national development and social cohesion.

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha conveyed the approval in a letter dated August 29, 2019 and addressed to the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Aliyu Aziz.

    In the letter signed on the SGF’s behalf by David K. Gende, the Director, Planning, Research & Statistics in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Mustapha conveyed government’s approval to the NIMC chief executive officer that Nigeria “should join the Coalition for International Identity Day,” in response to the latter’s earlier request.

    “I am to inform you that the SGF has considered and approved that Nigeria should join the Coalition for International Identity Day, which will recognise the role of identity management for proper planning, governance and efficient service delivery; that the National Identity Management Commission should proceed with educational and awareness campaigns on the proposed identity day to other public and private sector stakeholders including institutions in the movement,” the letter read.

    By that approval therefore, Nigeria becomes the first country in the world to formally adopt September 16, otherwise called 16.9, as Identity Day (ID-Day).

    Aziz said already, NIMC has lined up a number of activities to formally launch Nigeria’s Identity Day on September 16, 2019, year being the debut edition.

     

     

  • Only human-centred approach can create decent jobs

    Comrade Quadri Olaleye, the new president, Trade Union Congress (TUC), beleives job creation should be top priority of the government. Olaleye, who is also the president, Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB), says it is only a human-centred agenda that can boost productivity and create decent jobs, TOBA AGBOOLA met him.

    HOW  can the government tackle youth unemployment?

    In my own experience as a labour person, what should be a top priority of any government is how to create jobs for the populace, most especially the youth. I believe that there is no more important task than this.This is the very task that we have set before the Global Youth Employment Forum. Seven years ago, the impact of the financial crisis was still on. Then, the International Labour Congress (ILO) adopted its call for action on youth employment, which is pretty much the framework of this forum. And that call for action sets out basically five areas of action.

    These five areas are pro-employment macroeconomic policies that enable job creation among youths. That means that youth unemployment is not only a matter of the ministries of Labour or Youth, but also the central banks, the ministries of Planning, Finance and Industries. This is a government’s responsibility. The second area is policy for and investment in education and skills. These are key so that the skills we provide young people with are those that our labour markets really need. And we talk frequently about the mismatch between the skills on offer and the skills that are needed. We need to do better, and we need to make learning a life-long process. The third area of action is active labour market policies.

    This can vary from employment service provisions, to wage subsidies, employment intensive investments, all of which can ease the transition of young people from education to employment. These are the policies that allow the integration of young people into the labour market. Fourthly, we have to promote youth entrepreneurship and self-employment to harness the extraordinary energy and talents of our young people. And lastly, but it is not the least consideration, we have to be aware of and  respectful of the rights of young people. Because young people are workers like any other, their rights need to be promoted and respected in that regard.

    ILO has been working hard with its member states, including Nigeria, and we have gathered momentum along the way. We brought our sister organisations of the international system into our efforts. In 2016, the United Nations launched the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth to scale up  youth employment under the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda.

    Recently, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said the Federal Government would repossess the 10 electricity distribution firms as one of the options to rescue the beleaguered electricity industry. What is your take on this?

    My first take on this issue is that  let us look for a simple way the private sector runs or establishes their businesses; number one is, if you must be an investor,  the first thing you must have is capital. However, in the case of these Discos, Gencos and other privatised companies, I doubt if they had the initial capital invested. It appears the government sourced the funds for them, and is also supporting them and bailing them out at every point of their problems. So, I think it is high time the government looked for people that are ready to do business like private investors. Not  people that will rip Nigerians of their money. Our take is that the government should use this opportunity of the expiration of the agreements to run the business the way it should be.The government should look for real investors that can take the risks in the business.

    What about the lingering issue of minimum wage.?

    Truly, the president signed the minimum wage of N30,000, but the government did not want to adopt full implementation. Our members were able to counter that, and I want to thank those that were able to correct this, and showed that labour is indivisible. Now, we are back to the table negotiating towards a meaningful result. Though the government is delaying the negotiation, I can assure you that we are on top of the issue because our representatives are already negotiating with the government.  The next line of action will be reviewed, if the next meeting fails to meet the demands of workers.

    As TUC president, what is your plan for the labour centre and your advice on how the country can move forward?

    One of our core responsibilities is to engage the government in all aspects of the economy. We have to engage the government on their policies, and mount pressure on it because one thing we have learnt is that, if you don’t mount pressure, you may achieve nothing. So, we are going to engage the government on vital issues that have to do with creation of jobs and also advance the interest of workers. We all know the problem of shortage of houses, and that is why we will challenge the government. I am sure the government will listen to the yearnings of our members.

  • Stakeholders to Ngige: change must start with you

    The return of Dr Chris Ngige to the Ministry of Labour and Employment has elicited mixed reactions. While it came as a rude shock to some, others say it is a vote of confidence in the minister. Nonetheless, they have set agenda for him, writes TOBA AGBOOLA.

    FOllowing the inauguration of the new Federal Executive Council (FEC) by President Muhammadu Buhari last week, stakeholders have expressed surprise over the return of Dr. Chris Ngige to the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

    Their surprise was borne out of the fact that his last days in office were mired in controversy and confrontations with the labour movement.

    Most stakeholders said Ngige, considering his academic background, should have been taken to another ministry, arguing that he did not support workers in most of their struggles during his first tenure. The new minimum wage was the most prominent issue on which, the workers claimed, the minister frustrated them and almost scuttled the negotiation.

    Some also believe that with the experience garnered during his first coming as the Minister of Labour,  no doubt Ngige is no stranger to the challenges and intricacies of labour administration in the country.

    However, stakeholders have urged Ngige and and the Minister of State, Senator Omotayo Alasoadura, to hit the ground running.

    The workers also recalled that, instead of being a good arbiter, the minister, anytime the workers decided to go on strike, always looked for ways to work against the International Labour Organisation (ILO) convention with his pronouncements of “no work, no pay”.

    However, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said the organised labour had nothing against Ngige’s reappointment. He, however, warned that the minister might incur the wrath of  workers, if he failed to respect the independence of labour as a partner in the tripartite ecosystem.

    He said: “We don’t have permanent friends and enemies. We have nothing personal against him. If he respects the independence of labour as enshrined in the labour laws and as we have it in the ILO Convention, which Nigeria has been a signatory to since the ’60s, we will not have any issue with him.

    “Clearly, we have nothing against him, but where there is a fundamental issue we will engage him. It’s also a welcome development that the minister will now attend the consequential adjustment meeting on the new minimum wage, but the minister has nothing to do with it. It is already a law. Hence from the side of the labour centres, we will ensure that workers are not short-changed and that is the reason we have told our members to do proper research on what the increase was when the minimum wage was increased to N7,500 and N18,000.”

    Trade Union Congress (TUC) President Comrade Quadri Olaleye said labour would draw the attention of the President to the challenges confronting the labour movement

    He said: “The ministry under his watch must as a matter of urgency brace for the task ahead. It is imperative to state here that we are not happy that months after the new minimum wage was approved by the Federal Government, the issue is still foot-dragging over parity. His presence must make a difference.

    “Other issues include casualisation, outsourcing, pension, among others. The strength of any union is their number; unfortunately, our members are losing jobs in droves. This has to be checked, if we must put a stop to acts of criminality. Posterity will be fair to him, if he protects and creates more jobs instead of losing the existing ones. We must not forget that an idle mind is the Devil’s workshop.

    “There are serious tasks ahead, but we shall continue to count and trust in his wisdom, adroitness and proficiency to provide the mida’s touch needed to positively turn around the ministry for the good of all.”

    The TUC chief urged the minister to review the labour law to curb the excesses of employers who are involved in anti-labour practices, adding that they must be adequately punished to deter others from embarking on such a predatory venture.

    United Labour Congress (ULC) President Joe Ajaero urged the labour minister to be proactive, prevent industrial disputes and disagreements at infant levels before they escalate into major crises.

    He said Ngige must begin to pay attention to the work environment to ensure that there are efficient health and safety measures to reduce industrial accidents, while obsolete laws should be reviewed in a progressive and dynamic manner that will be favourable to all the social partners.

    Ajaero urged the ministers to create policies for robust industrial relations, as well as to formally register the ULC, by ensuring the trade union movement is democratised and liberalised.

    The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) said the appointment is a call to service.

    Its Director-General, Mr. Timothy Olawale said: “We congratulate the newly appointed minister. However, this appointment is a call to national service as the nation is faced with dire challenges needing urgent attention. The task ahead of  requires commitment, focus and determination.”

    On the imperative of the new ministers to be proactive, consultative and facilitators of growth and development, the NECA chief said:  “The issues confronting our nation require that the government and all stakeholders join hands in navigating the ship of state away from the perennial challenges facing businesses and the monstrous high youth unemployment. We reaffirm that Organised Businesses remain the engine room of national development and is better positioned to create employment and wealth for the generality of Nigerians.”

    Also, National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees (NUCFRLANPE) President Comrade Goke Olatunji said it was a surprise that Ngige was returned because he performed below expectation in his first outing.

    Olatunji’s advice: The minister must learn from his first term and apply the lessons to deliver a stable industrial atmosphere where employers and workers would interrelate without suspicions.

    “He did not really performed as expected in the last four four years. Maybe because he is not a labour person. For instance, there are many ways you can address conflicts. As an intellectual, he should be able to diversify. He should not apply divide and rule approach. People around him should advise him on how to handle things in the sector,” Olatunji said.

  • Employee-employer relationship vital to industrial harmony

    The National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees (NUCFRLANPE) believes industrial harmony can only be achieved if there’s an effective working relationship between employers and employees, TOBA AGBOOLA reports.

    FOR the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees (NUCFRLANPE), effective industrial relationship between employers and employees will promote job growth and security.

    The union urged the government to come up with policies that would promote the economy and have positive impact on employees and employers.

    At the union’s  28th Annual Industrial Relations seminar in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti, the President of the union, Comrade Goke Olatunji, said the economy would become buoyant if it began to produce goods for export at required quantity and quality.

    The theme of the seminar was: Charting a new course for effective industrial relations in an era of economic instability.

    Olatunji said the ability of manufacturers to produce depended on government’s policy to regulate and restrain the influx of foreign goods into the country.

    ”There is massive importation of poor quality and cheaper items, such as toothpick, soaps, matches and others, which cause stiff competition for locally produced goods.

    ”It is important for the government to chart a clear policy direction and ensure effective implementation of economic policies for manufacturing sector to operate,” he said.

    He said manufacturers have started to relocate because of major challenges, such as epileptic power supply, non-availabilty of gas and fuel, collapse of infrastructural amenities, bad roads and insecurity.

    He said the increasing level of insecurity was also affecting manufacturers as many were forced not to sell their products in crisis areas reducing production level.

    Chemical and Allied Non-Metallic Products Employers Federation (CANMPEF) Executive Secretary Comrade Femi Oke,  in his key note address, said industrial relations practice must create a partnership model that would build peaceful co-existence at workplace.

    According to Oke, the country is experiencing low manufacturing growth due to economic instability and only a peaceful industrial atmosphere could enhance job performance.

    He said the result of the low manufacturing growth on companies would include staff redundancy, reduction in capacity utilisation, and closure of companies.

    ” The manufacturing sector is supposed to be a huge employer of labour but statistics shows that it’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) dipped from 6.21 per cent in the first quarter  of 2014 to 2.01 per cent in 2019 first quarter.

    ”There is the need for the union to collaborate with employers by promoting good work ethics such as dedication, commitment, honesty and teamwork for effective productivity,” he said.

    He urged workers to be  competent and ensure success was achieved because that was the only way a positive industrial relations environment could enhance the performance of an organisation.

    Chairman, National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC), Mr Femi Adekunle, called for innovation through teamwork to achieve objectives of an organisation.

    He said labour must move away from its adversarial role to that of cooperation and collaboration to find solutions to the industry’s problems.

  • IOCs get two weeks’ ultimatum to pay dockworkers

    The Federal Government has given International Oil Companies (IOCs) a two-week ultimatum to pay outstanding debts to dockworkers employed by stevedoring contractors appointed by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

    President-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Comrade Adewale Adeyanju said the directive was issued at a meeting convened by the Federal Ministry of Transportation with the IOCs and industry stakeholders in Abuja.

    He said: “A resolution has been reached on the issue of IOCs. From the meeting we held last week, the IOCs have been given two weeks, beginning from Wednesday when we had the meeting.

    “Since then, their level of compliance has reached 30 per cent. They have started allowing the stevedoring contractors to register with them and I believe within two weeks, something reasonable will come out of it.”

    Adeyanju said with the level of compliance of the IOCs, he was optimistic that the union’s demands to engage the services of NPA-appointed stevedores and registered dockworkers would be addressed. He warned            that the union would not fail to resume its suspended strike, should the IOCs renege on the ultimatum.

    He said: “We only suspended our strike, if anybody plays against the resolution that all of us have agreed upon with the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the person will be held responsible. But with the level of compliance, I think we are satisfied with what we have heard so far.”

    The MWUN president, who expressed delight that the meeting yielded a positive outcomes, praised the Managing Director of the NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman, and the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, for their intervention and efforts in compelling the IOCs to accede to MWUN’s demands.

    “I think we have been able to get what we are bargaining for, that is, for the IOCs to recognise the stevedoring contractors and at the same time allow the dockworkers to work in the jetties,” Adeyanju said.

  • NLC to govt: release Sowore, others

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has described the arrest of Omoyele Sowore and other protesters in the last  peaceful protest as a breach of their fundamental human rights, as well as other Nigerians’ collective right to freedom of expression and association as enshrined in international and national instruments that strengthen democracy.

    The NLC, in a statement by the General-Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, said Sowore and other protesters were not carrying arms against the state and demanded their immediate and unconditional release.

    He said: “His continued detention by the State Security Service lacks any justification, as his actions were not in any way a threat to the sovereignty of Nigeria nor the democratically constituted government of Nigeria.

    “He was just one out of several Nigerians demanding for good governance being the minimum demand citizens can make from a government they democratically elected.”

    The NLC said it was with deep consternation that it viewed the attacks and arrest of peaceful protesters in some parts of the country by security agencies and military personnel.

    “There is no where in our Constitution or laws that security agencies are empowered to brazenly attack peaceful protesters and hound its organisers into detention, as the right to peaceful protests, assembly and association is fully guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under sections 39 and 40,” the labour centre said.

  • ILO youth forum calls for better jobs

    More than 200 young change-makers from 65 countries have called for systematic changes in youth employment policies, noting that business as usual is not working for youth.

    They issued the recommendations at the end of the three-day International Labour Organisation (ILO) Global Youth Employment Forum, graced by the ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, in Abuja.

    The proposals will inform implementation of the ILO Call for Action on Youth Employment, until 2030.

    In a communiqué after the event, the young delegates called for macro-economic and sectoral policies that target employment, rather than just economic growth, and build resilience to climate change.

    They also stressed the need for greater investment in access to quality education and skills development systems. This should be complemented by tailored approaches to lifelong learning and skills certification, which utilise technology and protect the rights of those in internships and apprenticeship schemes.

    Read Also: Are youths still leaders of tomorrow?

    According to the participants, labour market policies should place more emphasis on job quality and targeting, so that the benefits reach young women, young people with disabilities, young migrants and refugees, young platform economy and informal sector workers, youth in the rural economy and in hazardous occupations, and those from indigenous and ethnic groups.

    In addition, delegates called for gender equality and greater protection for youth labour rights and related issues, such as the right to time sovereignty, data privacy, Internet access and the right to disconnect.

    Speaking at the event, Ryder stressed the important role that young women and men play in identifying solutions and fostering collaboration across sectors and continents.

    He reaffirmed the ILO’s commitment to working with and for youths, urging all stakeholders to build a future that meets young people’s aims and aspirations.

    During the event, Ryder launched the Knowledge Facility of the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth, a digital platform of tools, publications, databases and thematic resources to support action on youth employment. The importance of partnerships was also underlined during discussions.