The Nation Newspaper

Category: Labour

  • Varsity non-teaching staff may resume suspended strike

    THE Joint Action Committee of universities’ non-academic  workers has threatened to resume its suspended strike.

    The workers are accusing the Federal Government of failing to implement the agreement, which led to the suspension of the industrial action.

    The Non-Academic Staff Union General Secretary, Comrade Peters Adeyemi, told The Nation that 12 weeks after signing the agreement, the government had not  implemented it, pointing out that  union was sad about this.

    He said the three unions that made up of the Non-Academic Staff Union, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the National Association of Academic Technologists on Monday, June 11 met over the matter and decided to resume the strike.

    But Labour and Employment Minister, Senator Chris Ngige denied reneging on the agreement, assuring that the government would pay them.

    Adeyemi said: “The strike was basically on the fact that the government reneged on its agreement with us on a number of issues. When our members insisted, we had to resume the suspended strike, which lasted for six weeks. We had a meeting with the government and we were promised. They asked us to allow them finalise some of the contacts they were making and for the Presidency to release some funds. They pleaded that we should give them five weeks. But it is about 12 weeks and nothing has happened.

    “Our members are seriously agitated because nobody is talking to us about anything. That is the most unfortunate thing that has happened to us in the industrial relation arena in our country. The government will sign an MoU with Labour and go to bed. JAC called another meeting for Monday.

    “It is most likely that the suspended strike will have to be restarted. We prevailed on our members after the expiration of the five weeks to give government more time. We have been moving around talking to those concerned, but there has been nothing positive from government. It is a very sad development.”

  • ‘Abuja Light Rail will create over 20,000 jobs’

    Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Permanent Secretary  Chinyeaka Ohaa has said  the Abuja Light Rail can generate  over 20,000 jobs and  boost the economic fortunes of the territory.

    Ohaa spoke when he led the FCT’s directors and members of the management staff to inspect the 78km Abuja Light Rail.

    He assured that the mass transit service would be inaugurated soon.

    Ohaa added that all the necessary infrastructure and personnel have been put in place for successful service.

  • Anti-labour practices: NUPENG takes oil firms to ILO

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has dragged some International Oil Companies (IOCs) to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Committee on Standards over anti-labour practices in Nigeria.

    Speaking at the ILO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, NUPENG President William Akporeha alleged that the status of NUPENG as a trade union, in terms of membership, financial capacity and ability to adequately organise and represent oil and gas workers, has been adversely affected by repressive anti-labour and union activities of the multinational oil companies.

    He said the struggle against  workers’exploitation was almost three decades old and that nothing had changed.

    ‘’The anti-union activities  include the depletion of its membership, indecent work entrenched resulting into upsurge in crime and social dislocations and defiant behaviours,’’ he said.

    Others, according to him, are refusal to allow the unionisation of contract and service contracts workers, forcing workers to sign agreement not to involve in unionism, among others.

    NUPENG accused Shell of introducing casualisation in Nigeria, which has been inculcated by other oil firms.

    ”Shell alone has close to 2000 contractors with over 20,000 precarious workers from their three subsidiaries of SNEPCo, SPDC and SNG; unfortunately, there is no  staff member of NUPENG in Shell Nigeria.

    “And they have continuously frustrated union activities in their contracting companies, which run their contractual policies, ranging from six to 12 months,” he said.

    He also alleged that Chevron Nigeria Limited in 2012 converted a stable labour contract of six contractors that had the benefits of permanent employment conditions to 15 contractors into precarious working conditions.

    He also alleged that in 2014, Mobil Producing Limited disengaged NUPENG’s members who were contract workers in Lagos and Eket through their contractor.

    He added: “As a result of this a lot of the workers have not been fully paid their terminal benefits, while those on the job are now being threatened not to join the Union as a condition to keep their jobs and moreover Mobil has also refused to employ permanent workers for more than 15 years.”

    NUPENG also reported that NAOC (AGIP) ENI Group is involving itself in the precarious work policies where all its services are handled by third party contractors with very poor working conditions.

  • Labour to Buhari: Reverse Electricity Privatisation

    Organised Labour has restated its call for the reversal of the power sector’s privatisation.

    Reacting to President Muhammadu Buhari’s speech on Democracy Day, the United Labour Congress (ULC),  said the power sector has failed Nigerians.

    Its President, Joe Ajaero, said the power sector privatisation was a failure.

    “It has been a harvest of woes. The United Kingdom has done the needful with their railways on seeing the woes the sector was bringing to the nation, the government has started reversing the privatisation of that sector. The government should emulate this and do the most sensible thing at this time by mustering the needed courage to reverse the nation’s electricity sector privatisation,” he said.

    Ajaero said labour considered it  embarrassing that the country has continued to pay the individuals that captured the DISCOs and GENCOs, despite repaying the nation with darkness.

    He said: “Our  findings showed that the government has paid about N1trillion to these private entities and this is most befuddling.

    “It is, therefore, better to reverse the sale so that instead of paying these companies, Nigeria can manage its funds for the purposes of generating and delivering power to our homes and organisations.”

    The ULC chief said workers were surprised that Buhari did not find it necessary to address the myriads of problems confronting them and the  workplaces.

    “We had thought that the President will recommit to ensuring that the minimum wage quickly become a reality but he never did.

    “We had thought that the President would have talked about the infrastructure deficit. We had hoped that the President would have addressed the crisis of unemployment and the increasing business shut down; alas, it did not happen,” he said.

    He, however, called on the government to move towards delivering the benefits of democracy to the people, especially workers, adding that the country’s testimony of harvests of benefits would be the demonstration of the government’s service and commitment to the people.

  • Fed Govt advises employment council on sustainable jobs

    For the economy to get stronger, the Federal Government has urged the National Employment Council to fashion  more sustainable ways of creating more jobs.

    It affirmed that Nigeria can no longer depend on proceeds from crude oil as the mainstay of the economy, but rather as a catalyst for other employment-generating sectors.

    Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, who addressed the council’s meeting in Abuja, said though Nigeria is out of recession, it must not go back to depending on crude oil.

    ”I am asking members of the National Employment Council to put on their thinking caps so that they can fashion out ways of job creation to give us something new,” he said.

    The minister emphasised that the job creation efforts of the Federal Government, such as the N-Power and Anchor Borrowers Programme, have yielded the much-anticipated results and taken many youths out of unemployment.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation/Youth Employment, Mr. Afolabi Imoukuhede, also said the job creation efforts of the President have yielded positive results.

    “The results are out there for all to see and experience; the impacts are out there and the lives that have been touched are speaking out continuously.

    “We will keep improving; it is part of the responsibilities of the employment council to see to it that all employment creation initiatives of the present administration are institutionalised and sustained,” Afolabi said.

  • Workplace violence, social dialogue, others top ILO agenda

    The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has urged a renewal of spirit of tripartism to tackle work challenges in the world as the 107th International Labour Conference (ILC) meets in Geneva.

    The conference is expected to address a range of issues, such as workplace violence, women at work, social dialogue, application of standards and development cooperation.

    Speaking at the opening of the conference, ILO Director-General (DG), Guy Ryder, warned of ‘heightened tension in the world’.

    He urged delegates to show the spirit of tripartism, compromise, and consensus, which he said, is a precondition of success for the conference and of the ILO.

    Ryder spoke on the growing challenge to international cooperation through multilateralism.

    Referring to ‘a new brutalism’ in the world, he expressed his firm belief that the ILO, as well as the ILC, must be a bulwark against such contagion by its own conduct and by the results it achieves.

    He said the conference discussion on social dialogue was timely and an opportunity to sharpen it as an instrument for dealing with the transformations taking place in the  workplace.

    On workplace violence and harassment, the DG called on delegates to open the way that guarantees workplaces free of violence and harassment.

    Underscoring the need for action against violence and harassment at work, including sexual harassment, which has been brought into sharp focus by the ‘Me Too’ campaign, he urged delegates to produce results that will really make the difference: “Our answer to the ever more vocal call for action must be ‘Us Too,” he said.

    Ryder announced a major report to be published by the Global Commission on the future of work early next year, adding: “The future of work also means the future of the ILO.”

    Ryder introduced his report on “The Women at Work Initiative: The push for equality”, which called for innovative action to close the gender gap.

  • Labour criticises Ngige over shift in minimum wage implementation

    Workers have expressed disappointment on the statement by the Minister of Labour and Employment Dr Chris Ngige, that the new minimum wage cannot be implemented in September.

    They described the comment as not only insensitive, but also provocative.

    They expressed dismay over  the delay in the implementation of the new minimum wage, noting that the expected increase in salaries would dampen workers’ morale.

    Ngige, who earlier raised the hope of a new minimum wage, also dashed it.

    The minister said going by the work rate of the tripartite committee, it was most unlikely that a new minimum wage would take off in September.

    Ngige said all that could be achieved by the committee was the submission of report to the Federal Government in September while it might take a few months for the processes to be completed.

    Besides, the minister also pointed at the inability of some states to pay as well as the private sector.

    Ngige said there were differentials in the figures that were arrived at by the major stakeholders that ranged between N22, 000 and N58, 000 while the labour movement was holding out for N66, 500.

    Reacting, a female civil servant, Juliet Adaji, who commended the Lagos State government for the prompt payment of salaries,  urged the Federal Government to speed up the implementation process.

    “Our salaries are not enough to take care of the high cost of living. Things are expensive; people are suffering.The government should not extend the September target,” she said.

    Another worker based in Kogi State, Adole Kenneth, said things were difficult for them as the government could not pay its workers promptly, adding that it would be difficult for it to implement a new salary structure.

    “As I speak, the government is owing me up to five months. When I follow up on the debates of the increased wage workers are canvassing, it makes me look as if I am dreaming because even with the meagre N18, 000 minimum wage, Kogi State is still not meeting up. I wonder about the N66,500 new minimum wage workers are clamouring for,” Adole said.

    Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Ayuba Wabba, said Congress would resist any move to re-negotiate the minimum wage, insisting that the proposed minimum wage must be paid to workers.

    He urged the Federal Government to ensure that federal allocations were not released to states and local governments that refuse to implement the new wage.

    Wabba said: “We are battle-ready against public and private organisations that would refuse to conform to the new minimum wage. At our disposal is the power of our votes. We shall ensure that the government that refuses to pay the new minimum wage will not receive the support of the working class, pensioners and their families.”

    He argued that the N66, 500 national minimum wage would at best meet only the basic needs of the average worker, if inflation were kept at a single digit.

    Struggling to reconcile non-take off of the new wage in September with  declarations by the minister as well as the Vice President, Wabba said there was an urgent need by Ngige to clarify his ‘double speak’ on the planned minimum wage to avoid confusion on the issue.

    Wabba queried the sudden change in the proposed implementation date, noting that Ngige had without any prompting, informed the world that the Federal Government would start paying the new wage in September.

    United Labour Congress (ULC) berated Ngige, adding that it would not accept anything that would affect workers adversely.

    It described the Ngige’s statement as unfortunate, saying he should have consulted members of the tripartite committee on the minimum wage before announcing the wage.

     

  • Federal Govt planning to proscribe NLC – Wabba

    The Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC ) has reported the Nigerian government to the International Labour Organisation, on alleged back-door plan  to proscribe the Congress and undermine collective labour relations in the country.

    President of the Nigeria Labour Congress and representative of workers on the Governing Board of the ILO, Comrade Ayuba Wabba told the Committee on Application of Standard that the government has forwarded a new bill to the National Assembly which will distort the nation’s industrial relations landscape.

    The NLC also reported the Kaduna and Kogi state governments to the world Labour body over total disregard for the principle of collective bargaining which constitute violations of ILO convention 98 for sacking workers indiscriminately and refusal tom pay salary of workers.

    Wabba told the Committee which meets to review industrial relations in member countries that part of the bill sent to the nation’s parliament seek to proscribe the NLC if it fails to amend its constitution to conform to the bill two years after being passed into law.

    “A new version of the Collective Labour Relations Bill is not a product of consultation and largely different from the one we have made inputs to some years ago. Strangely, this new version was to be surreptitiously passed into law, but for our vigilance and the candor of the parliament to undertake due diligence.

    “Evidence of our claim that the intentions of the amendment were to undermine trade unions and unnecessarily distort our industrial relations landscape and temperature can be seen in one of the portions of this new bill which says “if after two years of commencement of the application of this Act, and the Nigeria Labour Congress has not amended her constitution to conform to this Act, it shall stand proscribed”.

    He added that “the mention of the name of our organisation in a draft proposal for amendment betrayed the undisguised malicious intention of the amendment.”

    The NLC President maintained that “interference in collective negotiation process in the private sector has been a cause of worry to the Committee since 2009. The government continues to claim that sectorial collective bargaining agreement must have its blessing before it becomes implementable so that there is no “undue economic disruption” and so it has benchmarks for wages. This clearly contradict Article 4 of this Convention for which the Committee has sharply pointed in this report being discussed by this Conference Committee.

    “The Collective Labour Relations Bill the Committee of Experts refer to started over 10 year ago. Still, no end in sight. Aside the process being very slow and delayed, the intention of government with respect to the review and amendments are giving us cause for concerns.

    “As against the advice of the Committee of experts to bring labour laws in conformity with the Convention, we can report that, sadly, this is not the case at present. Rather, the government is seeking to use the process to weaken and destroy trade unions and at the same time claiming to expand “freedom of association and volunteerism”.

    He also said “few days ago, another infraction to this convention was committed by the Ministry of Labour. The Minister was reported in some national dailies as saying that workers should not expect the National Minimum (still under discussion) to be finalised by September. When the minimum wage negotiation started, it was agreed by all partners that it will terminate with an outcome in September. The Minister is thus unilaterally determining the negotiation outcome.

    “We ask that this Committee call on the Nigerian government to allow for genuine and good faith engineering of the intended reforms of the labour laws so as to bring them in conformity to the provisions of this convention. We also pray this Committee to ensure that the Nigerian government work genuinely with the High Level Mission that the Committee of Experts has severally proposed, which we know will benefit Nigeria, her industrial relations practices and ultimately, her economy”.

    Turning to the issue of Kaduna and Kogi states, the NLC President said “In 2017, the government of Kaduna State, Northwest Nigeria, sacked with a slant of disingenuous manner 38,000 workers comprising of 22,000 teachers, about 5,000 Local government Councils, and over 8,000 from ministries, departments, agencies, as well as those in the tertiary institutions under the guise of a vague reform.

    “The sack was carried out without recourse to respect and consideration for established rules in handling such process, including the provisions in the existing public sector collective bargaining procedures. The Nigeria Labour Congress officially reported this violation to the Ministry of Labour.

    “We wish to report that the disregard for collective bargaining extant laws and practices was total. For instance, the Nigeria Union of Teachers challenged this illegal sack in court and got a restraining order that the proposed sack should be put on hold until the substantive suit is decided. The court order was blatantly disregarded and disobeyed by the state government.”

    He accused the Kaduna state government of also violating section 16(A) of the Trade Union Act, by withholding seven months deductions to all the unions, while also going ahead to stop such deductions through a government circular.

    “In Kogi State, North-central Nigeria, the government is refusing to abide by collective bargaining agreement concerning the payment and protection of wages. Workers and pensioners in that state are owed over 7 months salaries and pension benefits. This is in spite of repeated genuine efforts by the Federal Government to ameliorate this problem through the granting, three times, of financial bailout to all the affected states.

    “In July 2017, the Kogi state government rather than negotiate with the teaching staff in the tertiary institutions in the state, it illegally proscribed and confiscated the assets of the affected unions. These actions are also violations of section 40 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, which was equivocal that “all persons shall not only be free to assemble and associate, but in particular, shall freely form or belong to trade unions and other associations for the protection of their interests,” Wabba stated. 

  • Food, beverage sector loses 11,000 jobs, 12 firms

    About 11,254 jobs have been lost in the food, beverage and tobacco sub-sector in the last four years, the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (AFBTE) President, Patrick Anegbe, has said.

    He said about 13 companies had also closed shop, noting that the figure was expected to rise if the recently-approved rise in excise duty on tobacco and other local consumer goods comes into effect from June 4.

    The breakdown of the job losses showed that 8,456 jobs were lost in the drinks (breweries, bottles and distillers), 2,683 jobs in the tobacco and 115 others within the period.

    Specifically, with 28,059 employed by 29 companies in 2013, 17,453 workers were retained by 16 companies, while 13 companies closed shop or relocated to other countries.

    At the association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos, Anegbe lamented that the manufacturing sector was yet to be impacted by the Ease of Doing Business policy.

    Anegbe said: “It is obvious that the impact of absorbing the cost of the revised duty would be overwhelming on players in the industry. The development will no doubt reverse some of the growth recorded by the food, beverages and tobacco sub-sector.

    He said in 2017, the sector improved by 8.62 per cent over 2016, recording a growth of 2.35 per cent, stating that the manufacturers are opposed to the increase and the timing, as most players were just recovering from the negative profitability and revenue contradiction.

    He said taxes are withdrawals and the increase in excise duty will reduce margins and could prompt higher unemployment. We strongly hold the view that if the intention of the government is to grow the industries, imposing exorbitant duties on locally manufactured goods is a contradiction of that objective, he stated.

    Anegbe expressed the association’s worry over the introduction of borehole taxes in Lagos and Ogun states, appealing to the Federal government to come to the rescue of manufacturers in the two states, by dissuading them from compelling manufacturers to pay for providing their own water through boreholes.

  • Group to govt: create jobs

    Christian Ministers United Forum Group (CMUF) has  identified unemployment as one of the challenges facing the economy.

    At a forum in Lagos, the group’s President, Comrade James Okocha, said unemployment has been rising over the years. He said while the onus was on the government to create jobs, especially through an enabling environment for SMEs to thrive, there was a clear indication that Nigerians were willing to explore various opportunities in tackling unemployment.

    He said: ”An important line of action the government needs to adopt in creating jobs through an enabling environment would be to address Nigeria’s infrastructure issue; especially in the area of adequate power supply as this would naturally incentivise the spring of more SMEs and attract more foreign investors. This will in turn lead to more employments opportunities in the country.’’

    Okocha said another critical line of action, which needed to be considered, was the revival of the agricultural sector with emphasis on improving the image of agriculture to attract youth participation, employing greater use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), partnership with the private sector, easy access to land and credit in order to make agriculture more lucrative.

    “These would go a long way in tackling the issue of unemployment especially for the Nigerian youths as well as create opportunities for multiple streams of income even for the employed,” he said.

    Okocha also lamented over the various killing across the country, saying if not properly handled, it would lead to anarchy.