The Nation Newspaper

Category: Labour

  • Minimum wage: Slow pace of negotiations worries labour

    Organised labour has decried the slow pace of negotiations over the new national minimum wage, calling on workers to be alert as the road to the minimum wage may not be smooth.

    The Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), Comrade Benjamin Anthony, expressed workers’ discontentment at the slow pace of work on the issue of minimum wage.

    Anthony said the workers were waiting for the government’s pronouncement on the new minimum wage, adding that workers had been short-changed for the past two years, based on the law on minimum wage.

    He said: “We observed with great discontentment the slow pace of work on the new national minimum wage. The current minimum wage law came into effect in 2011 and it was designed for review every five years.

    “By implication, another minimum wage ought to have been signed into law since 2016. That is to say that Nigerian workers have been denied the fruit of their labour for the past two years.

    “As we patiently await the pronouncement of the new minimum wage at the third quarter of the year as announced by the Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige, during the just-concluded 40th anniversary of the Nigeria Labour Congress. I implore workers to be at alert as the road to the minimum wage might not be smooth.

    The labour leader called on workers to resist the deceit of political class that resources were not enough to pay minimum wage considering the wide gap that exist between the salaries of political office holders and the toiling workers that produce the wealth of the nation.

    He said workers would no longer accept N18, 000 minimum wage when a Senator collects N13.5 million monthly as running cost.

    Also, the AUPCTRE FCT Chapter Acting Chairman, Comrade Aliyu Maradun said: “Someone sitting somewhere (Senator) cannot be collecting N13.5 million incentive in a month, and you pay a miserable N18, 000 to a worker in a month. It is unacceptable, it is not possible and it is not going to work.”

    “On the strength of the above, permit me to state, with every seriousness, that the primary objective of our union is to defend the economic interest of our members through diligent negotiations, dialogue, collective bargaining, trade dispute, protest, rallies and strikes.”

    Maradun said trade union is an integral part of the society and has become an important part of the economic fabric of Nigeria, recognised and consulted by employers of labour and governments.

    Nigerian Civil Service Union President, Comrade Kiri Mohammed, said the new demand reflected inflation and other economic realities.

    He said: “We submitted our request, NLC has decided to look at the figure and modify it; we actually modified it, an upward review above N56,000, but I am not going to tell you how much because the president (Ayuba Wabba) is supposed to say it.

    “We have submitted it to the secretariat of the tripartite committee. The review is in conjunction with the Trade Union Congress (TUC). You can’t do it alone. All of us met and decided to put heads together and look at the realities on the ground.”

    Kiri expressed confidence that the minimum wage bill would be passed by the National Assembly and implemented by the Federal Government this year.

    He asked: “Who made the budget?” adding: “I believe if the government is serious, we can finish this matter towards the middle of this year, June, July.

    “If we can finish at that time, then before the end of the year, certainly the President must send whatever we agreed on to the National Assembly for them to look at it and for him to assent to it as a law, but I know that once we agreed, government would implement whatever is agreed.”

    Wabba has also warned those he accused of working against the realisation of the new minimum wage within government so also that labour would resist their antics.

    He vowed to resist any attempt to slowdown the review of the national minimum wage. “Let us use this medium to serve notice to those who seek to slow down or frustrate the process of review that they will be resisted in like manner as our predecessors did.

    “We are prepared to deal with employers, especially governors, who deny workers and pensioners their salaries and pension. Workers and their families would not give them any further political support, especially their votes,” Wabba warned.

    Meanwhile, the Federal Government, through the Minister, has assured workers of the introduction of a new minimum wage latest by the third quarter of the year.

    The Minister, who gave the assurance recently, added that implementation of the new pay would take effect immediately after the announcement.

    He added that the government was already receiving memoranda from relevant bodies and persons to enable the determination of the new minimum wage.

  • NLC decries violence against women

    THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has vowed to resist any act of violence against women.

    NLC President Ayuba Wabba stated this in Abuja at a rally with the theme: “Support International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention: Stop gender-based violence’’ organised by NLC’s women wing.

    Wabba said violence against any woman was violence against the society.

    The wing organised the rally to draw attention to the numerous challenges affecting women, especially at work places.

    Wabba said the Congress had canvassed for equality between women and men in the past, saying there should be no discrimination them.

    “We should be able to respect our women because of the fact that they are nation builders. Therefore, we mark this occasion in furtherance to protecting women against violence because it’s obvious that violence against women have been on the increase.

    “We are denouncing violence against women in totality and also saying that we will resist any act of violence against women across Nigeria. Because any woman that her rights have been violated is a violation against the society at large,” he said.

    Wabba said Germany, a country led by a woman, has the largest trade union centre in the world, yet their economy is one of the best.

    “So, certainly trade union rights are synonymous with national development. So, given the same opportunity to women, we are certain they will deliver the best and change the narrative,” he said.

  • FOBTOB lauds judgment on 28 sacked employees

    The Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB) National President, Comrade Quadri Olaleye, has hailed the judgment given by the National Industrial Court (NIC) in favour of 28  members of the union who were sacked for belonging to the union.

    He said it was a great victory for the members of the union and their  families who were deprived of their dignity and right by the sister companies located in Jos.

    Hon. Justice O. Y. Anuwe of the NIC in Suit NO: NICN/ABJ/325/2016 ruled against Grand Cereals Nigeria Limited and Spring Waters Nigeria Limited, three years after the matter first came up at the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) and the NIC.

    The judge granted a relief that FOBTOB’s 28 members whose employment were terminated or prematurely retired for belonging to the union be reinstated.

    The NIC ordered the two firms to pay the arrears of salary and allowances of the workers from the date of their termination till the  day judgment was given less any amount that may have been paid as redundancy or terminal benefits when they were discriminatorily terminated. The companies were also ordered to pay the backlog of check-off dues to FOBTOB for the last three years.

    FOBTOB was represented by  Femi Aborishade.

    Olaleye said this was a signal to other employers who were  victimising union members, saying  the association would leave no stone unturned in the fight for justice for any cadre of its membership.

  • NSITF to ensure safe work environment

    Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Managing Director Adebayo Somefun has promised to ensure a safe work environment for workers.

    Somefun spoke at the induction of new staff members of the Fund.

    He said part of the mandate of the Fund was to ensure that where occupational hazards happened, the victims were compensated, rehabilitated and treated fairly.

    He noted that with about 5000 workers across 56 branches and 11 regional offices nationwide, the Fund was ready to serve Nigerians.

    Represented by the General Manager, Administration, Olusegun Basorun, Somefun said he had ordered the Human Resources department to identify gaps and  bridged them.

    He said there was the need for workers to embrace the mission of the organisation, saying: “The human resources department has the mandate of the managing director to identify knowledge gaps where they exist and initiate actions to correct the gaps so that staff members would be equipped with the required competencies they need to carry out their individual functions.”

    Somefun  said the inductees came from various backgrounds, organisational cultures and work attitude, it was necessary to expose them to the NSITF culture.

    “Not only do we tell them what we expect, we also open our minds to learning new things from the new workers. We, at the NSITF, appreciate that knowledge does not reside in one place. Therefore, we  put ourselves in a position to learn new ideas that can contribute to the attainment of the mandate of NSITF.

    “The management also uses this opportunity to let new staff members know the dos and don’ts in a formal atmosphere and assure them that the management is ready to assist them realise their potentials but they must do all they have to do within the rules and regulations of the Fund,” he said.

  • TUC decries insecurity, political volatility

    THE Trade Union Congress (TUC) is worried over the insecurity in the country. It has also condemned killings by Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen and militiamen.

    Speaking with The Nation, its President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama, expressed concern over the volatile political situation and called on political leaders to ensure that peace and order are maintained among their followers.

    He urged the Federal Government to build citizens’ confidence in the system and ensure that the perpetrators of the killings and other heinous crimes are brought to book.

    Kaigama also enjoined politicians to avoid hate speeches so that the common man and workers can attain fulfilment.

    On minimum wage, he said: “We want to commend the Federal Government for the constitution of the Minimum Wage Committee. We implore the Committee to speed up proceedings to ensure that a new minimum wage will take effect not later than the agreed third quarter of the year.”

    He also said TUC had observed that the fight against corruption would not achieve the desired result without addressing the injustices being perpetrated by political office holders who collect multiple pensions and gratuities while still serving the government in another capacity. “This is not good for the economy,”he said.

    Kaigama said the current situation in which the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is the sole provider of fuel to the nation and absorbing subsidies was not healthy for the nation and the corporation. He advised the government to reimburse the NNPC so as to enable it perform its primary obligation to the country.

    He said: “The Federal Government should begin immediate payment of all outstanding subsidy claims by the petroleum marketers under the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) administered Petroleum Support Fund (PSF) to avoid consequential job losses, which the nation can least afford.

    “These delays are also stopping payments of wages/salaries in the downstream sector in a scary dimension, which must not be allowed to degenerate further. It is expected that the government would engage the marketers as social partners under a special intervention arrangement that enables marketers purchase foreign exchange (forex) at concessionary rates from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).”

  • Labour hails Federal Govt’s stance on AfCFTA

    Organised Labour has hailed  President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to hold more consultations on the controversial African  Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) Act.

    Labour commended the vigilance of stakeholders, such as manufacturers, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and businesses, in calling for caution on international trade agreements that could undermine the country’s development aspirations.

    Nigeria failed to attend the meeting of the AU in Kigali, Rwanda, last Wednesday, where the agreement was scheduled to be signed.

    Speaking on the Federal Government’s position, NLC National Executive committee member and  Industrial Global Union Vice President Comrade Issa Aremu  noted that while intra-Africa trade could bring economic benefits to member states, there should be broad consultation and participation in the AfCFTA negotiations to avoid what he called “pit-falls of past trade agreements, which have turned out to be more devastating and negative”

    He recalled that Nigeria’s membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in the 1990s with attendant lowering of tariffs and trade liberalisation was the singular factor that led to the collapse of labour-intensive industries like textile and automobile in the country.

    According to the labour leader, trade is the means to development, not the end itself, therefore, any trade pact must foster growth, create mass decent jobs and development, falling which it is counter-productive.

    “AfCFTA will fuel cheaper imports and smuggled goods that would overrun domestic markets of local products, which, because of high production costs, are unable to compete, thus perpetuating “deindustrialisation, unemployment and poverty,” he said.

    Aremu said rather than Nigerians agonising over the act’s non-ratification, it is high time Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah,  engaged stakeholders on the trade pact, answer critical questions on the implications of the AfCFTA, for ECOWAS treaty, and Common External Tariff and the contentious Europe Union Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

    Aremu averred that whatever the outcome of the deliberations, AfCFTA should allow Nigeria the domestic policy space such that the objectives of job creation and industrialisation as contained in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan and Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan are not jeopardised.

  • Union seeks Ajaokuta Steel unbundling

    The Iron and Steel Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ISSAN) has urged the Federal Government to unbundle the Ajokuta Steel Company to ensure its effectiveness.

    Its President, Mr Itopa Bello, made the call in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    Bello’s call is coming on the heels of the plan by the Federal Government to concession of the steel firm.

    “Ajaokuta has many product entities that have the capacities to stand on their own. It should not be given to a single investor.

    “The autonomous entities in the project should be unbundled and given to different serious investors and there will be competition among operators and they will function well,” Bello said.

    He said steel company was an integrated plant with 43 units, adding that 40 of them had been completed and working effectively.

    “The remaining three, which are the primary and prominent units of the steel company have not been completed and they are not working,” he said.

    Bello said the functioning 40 units should be unbundled because the company had the ability to start and finish a production without requiring input from outside.

    He also said that TPE, the Russian firm that completed the 40 units should be allowed to finish the whole project since it had the knowledge of the production activities of the company.

    He stressed the need for the completion of the remaining components, adding that the company had the capacity to produce the materials required for constructing all the rail-lines across the country.

    “With ‘bluom’ the steel company can produce rods for the telecommunication industry and other sectors of the economy.

    “It is an integrated steel company that has the ability to start and finish a product without sending it to be done elsewhere,” he said.

    The union leader said the company was capable to generate 15,000 direct jobs and 500,000 indirect ones.

    NAN recalls that Nigeria recovered ownership of the company and the National Iron Ore Mining Company Limited, Itakpe, from an Indian firm, following the resolution in her favour, of a 10-year old legal dispute.

    The government, however, signed a peace accord with the Indian firm, Global Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (GINL), as part of the resolution of the legal tussle.

    The House of Representative Committee on Privatisation, chaired by Ahmed Yerima, on March 1, organised a public hearing on the planned privatisation and concessioning of the steel company.

  • Ministry takes battle against child labour to Southsouth

    The Federal Government’s efforts at eliminating child labour has received a boost. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has taken the campaign on National Reporting Template on Child Labour to the Southsouth geo-political zone.

    Declaring open a two-day capacity building workshop on the National Reporting Template on Child Labour for stakeholders in Port-Harcourt, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Bolaji Adebiyi, said child labour posed a great threat to global peace.

    He said: “As you are aware, child labour presents a serious challenge at global and national levels and requires concerted efforts by all stakeholders to overcome. That is why the Ministry of Labour and Employment over the years worked assiduously in collaboration with Developmental Partners and other Stakeholders to develop robust National Policies on Child Labour with a view to combat the menace.”

    Adebiyi, represented by his Technical Adviser, Mr. Emmanuel Igbinosun, emphasised that until recent times there was no national reporting template for proper monitoring, evaluation and data collation on child labour in Nigeria.

    “Today, we are at the threshold of history as I present to you a National Reporting Template on Child Labour in Nigeria as validated by all stakeholders,” he said.

    He said the template would not only facilitate the generation of data but serve as a valuation mechanism to facilitate the identification of gaps in the implementation of multi-sectoral strategies and processes as well as provide the basis for proactive and remedial actions aimed at reducing or eliminating child labour.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • PENGASSAN’s picketing worries oil service firms

    Oil service companies are worried by incessant picketing by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) members over internal labour issues.

    Nestoil oil subsidiary, Neconde Energy and Ciscon Limited, among others, have had conflicts with PENGASSAN over labour issues, which included not allowing their workers to unionise.

    Leaders of Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), the umbrella body of the oil service firms, met in Lagos over the continuous picketing of their members’ firms with a view to charting strategies to deal with the issue. Some of their discussions included legal determination of labour activism boundaries, internal reorganisation and staff contracting. The oil service firms are working together to ward off common hindrances to their business growth.

    PETAN Chairman Mr. Bank-Anthony Okoroafor, who spoke on the outcome of the meeting, said PENGASSAN had refused to play the role of patriotic partners  to sustain the Nigeria Content Development in the face of the prevailing downturn in the industry.

    “It is difficult times for the oil firms, not just the service firms, but also oil firms that are facing the headwinds in the oil market. Some of them are finding it difficult to pay for jobs delivered by service firms. So, they owe us. We don’t go to war with them because we know what the industry is passing through.

    “Most of the contracting firms are owed. So, they are justifiably in debt, and the banks are chasing them. And you go and shut them down because you want to unionize. That is insensitivity. Now, if these fledgling firms go down completely where will your members work? The biggest losers would be the workers PENGASSAN claims to be fighting for,” Okoroafor said.

    Besides worsening the situation in the industry, picketing could be fatal on small fledgling companies, Okoroafor said, advising the PENGASSAN leadership to create internal communications channels to enable workers at all levels to understand the business dynamics and state of affairs in the industry at all times.

    Some PETAN members, who spoke on the outcome of the meeting, said investors’ response would take a multi-faceted approach that would not rule out massive re-staffing, which might involve well-defined workplace behavioural codes and activities that conform to local and international labour laws. They expressed dissatisfaction over workers’ boldness in shutting down operations of some members, describing it as totally unacceptable.

     

     

  • ITF lists paths to organisational growth

    Workers must strive to be productive at all times, eschew indolence, idleness and gossip while there should be a synergy among the workforce to ensure organisational growth, Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Director-General Joseph Ari has said.

    He spoke at the 2017 ITF annual performance review meeting, which held at the ITF Centre for Excellence, in Bukuru, Jos, Plateau State capital.

    Ari commended the field commanders, who constitute the workforce of the Fund, for the successes recorded in the year under review despite the severe economic recession in the economic landscape.

    He noted that as much as their efforts were laudable when placed side by side with the soaring unemployment figures and other determinants, it was required of them to do more.

    Ari pointed out that in the face of daunting challenges, they were undeterred and soldiered on for the love of the country and the Fund.

    His words: “Today, our successes have permeated through the nooks and crannies of this country, especially through our flagship programme, the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP). Equally, we did very well in the performance of our other functions, including the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), reimbursement and our Direct Training Services. A lot more needs to be done.”

    Ari, who viewed the event as important because it provided the opportunity to collectively take stock of activities in the preceding year, said it would also help in projecting and strategising for optimal result in the succeeding year.

    He said the annual review was not a jamboree or a talk shop, but a serious event that has had fundamental impact on the way they approached their business.