The Nation Newspaper

Category: Labour

  • Union seeks repeal of old labour laws

    Union seeks repeal of old labour laws

    The Association of Senior Staff of Banks  Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) is sponsoring  bills at the National Assembly to change labour  laws in the banks and other institutions, its President, Comrade Oyinkan Olasanoye, has said.

    Speaking with The Nation, said most of the laws regulating the sector were old and needed to be repealed.

    She said: “Most of the labour laws we are using are those ones put in place prior to independence. There are modern ways of doing things now under the current age of globalisation.’’

    She also said  the association was planning to inaugurate job loss insurance scheme in view of the mass sack in the financial sector.

    Comrade Olasanoye said the scheme was an avenue to compensate members for  job losses.

    On casualisation, she maintained that the union would continue to fight the menace, which she said was a big challenge in the country.

  • Pensioners state stand on Paris Club refund

    Pensioners state stand on Paris Club refund

    The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Southsouth zone, has asked for judicious use of the Paris Club refund given to states to pay salaries and pension arrears.

    Its Zonal Chairman Comrade Benjamin Eta said pensioners were partnering unions to ensure that they were not sidelined.

    He said the National Executive Committee of the union had notified the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) of its stand.

    “The national executive committee has sent a letter to the NLC and to the union to monitor the use of that money.

    “This is because it is difficult for pensioners to get close to government,” Eta said.

    According to him, it was necessary for the NLC to be involved in the matter, considering its closeness to the government.

    “What the union will do is to liaise with the NLC, which is closer to the government, to see how that money can be properly put to use,” he said.

    The union called for the appropriate use of the cash.

    According to the Chairman of the union in Rivers State, Mr Festus Abibo, the president should prevail on governors to deploy the funds for the purpose they were meant for and not divert same for their uses.

    He called on state governments to carry out biometric verification of retirees from 2014-2016 to pay up their gratuities and entitle-ments early.

    The Rivers NUP chief lamented that  retirees had been facing financial difficulties since 2004.

    He appealed to the relevant authorities to address the documentation matters of retirees from 2014 to date and ensure the commencement of payments to alleviate the sufferings of these senior citizens.

  • NULGE begins nationwide protests over autonomy

    NULGE begins nationwide protests over autonomy

    The National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has begun its nationwide protests to drum up support for local government autonomy. The union has scheduled a rally in each of the six geo-political zones and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    To NULGE, the protests are a subtle advocacy to create awareness and achieve local government autonomy.

    NULGE, an advocate of local government autonomy, said  it was imperative for it to take the protests to the doorstep of the Houses of Assembly, which are critical to  constitution amendment.

    During the Seventh National Assembly, many state assemblies voted against local government autonomy. The proposal for local government autonomy lapsed since two-thirds of the 36 states did not endorse it.

    NULGE President, Ibrahim Kahleel, said the union began the protest in Nasarawa State in the Northcentral Zone last week.

    He said the advocacy became necessary to ensure that the local governments are politically, financially and administratively autonomous in line with global standard practice.

    Khaleel said the campaign, through the protest, had become one of the most viable options for Nigerians, especially the local government workers, to draw attention to what could be described as the re-colonisation of the people.

    “This rally is expected to end with a meeting with the members of Lagos State House of Assembly, where the union will present its position and make submission to the Speaker. The union will be canvassing major amendments to the constitution, which the union believes will rescue the local government from the state governors and underdevelopment.

    “NULGE wants all the contradictory provisions of the 1999 constitution (as amended) that allow for the confusion and manipulation of local government system by state governments erased,” he said.

    He said the union would insist on strict observance of the provision of Section 7, especially the provisions on elected councils.

    He said: “The constitution should be reviewed such that a provision caters for structure, functions, composition, establishment, funding, status and other matters that affect local governments, rather than delegating it to the state governments or Houses of Assembly.”

    He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the realisation of local government autonomy.

    According to him, one of the demands at the United Nations (UN) meeting was that the local governments across the world be made to be autonomous in line with the democratic principles.

    He said: ‘’Therefore, we have agreed to protest across the six geopolitical zones at the designated centres.

    ”Those other provisions that contradict full autonomy should be expunged from the constitution to avoid the serious contradictions. For instance, the structure, finance, establishment, composition and functions of LGAs should not be vested in the state governments or state Houses of Assembly, but in the Constitution in view of Section 5 that proposes vesting executive powers of the local government council in the chairman.

    “The Constitutional provision on the existence and functions of the State Independent Electoral Commission should be expunged completely in the 1999 constitution because they have become the instruments of anti-democratic practices by state governments,’’ hr added.

  • Ngige: informal sector key to job creation

    Ngige: informal sector key to job creation

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has said formalisation of the informal sector is one of the Federal Government’s cardinal approaches   to combat unemployment.

    He spoke when  the executives of the Association of Vulcanisers of Nigeria, FCT chapter, led by the  Chairman, Comrade Lawal Mohammed Okokore, visited him in Abuja.

    He said vulcanising was an important self-employed occupation as it involves skills, thereby contributing to the Federal Government’s effort at reducing unemployment.

    Ngige emphasised that the government alone could not create the needed jobs, adding that the era of white collar jobs was gone.

    ”We made a commitment not to retrench but we are interested in de-emphasissing youths dependence on limited white collar jobs.

    “We rather encourage them to embrace blue collar jobs in agriculture, mining as well as in trades, such as vulcanising,’’ he said.

    He urged the association to avail its members of the opportunity provided by the various skills acquisition centres of the ministry as well as key into the skills acquisition programmes of the National Directorate of Employment(NDE).

    “This ministry has eight specialised skills centres spread across the geo-political zones, your members can go there and get advanced skills in vulcanising for free and be certified with trade test certificate which is equivalent to the City and Guild of past,” he said.

    The state chairman of the association, Comrade Okokore, said  majority of technicians in Nigeria, including vulcanisers, lacked modern skills and equipment to ply their trades.

    He urged the minister to support the association through training and workshops, easy and direct access to modern equipment and accessories as well as soft loans to artisans and technicians.

  • Labour cautions Fed Govt on N500b Paris Club refund to states

    Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has urged the Federal Government to compel states to invest the N500 billion London-Paris Club refund on projects.

    It said the measure would prevent a repeat of what happened last year when the first tranche of N388 billion  released in December was allegedly diverted into other uses, or embezzled.

    In a statement, TUC National President Comrade Bobboi Kaigama said: “We are afraid the governors might come cap-in-hand for another round in no distant time if the necessary things are not put in place.

    ”One could infer from the foregoings that the President to some extent profoundly means well but some people are determined to frustrate his effort. One would have expected that when the first tranche of money was released, salaries and pensioners would have been paid. We had expected that some meaningful projects would have been embarked upon; instead (they) the governors rolled out their drums to receive the billions for personal aggrandizement. This is not the way to go in an era of change.”

    Kaigama drew the attention of the government to what he described as the numerous cases of suicides and suicide attempts so far recorded this year, adding that workers were unable to feed their families, pay rents and school fees, let alone provide clothings.

    He said the President assured workers that his government has the welfare of Nigerians at heart but it appears not to be so. He said if governors made judicious use of the monies at their disposal, the recession would soon be a thing of the past.

    “It is, therefore, expedient the President recognises the absolute fact that the citizens of this country voted for him because of his pedigree. They voted because they trusted and believed that his administration would be just,prudent, accountable and lead with the fear of God. The cooperation we anticipated is not there as the centre appears to be going one way, while the lawmakers and the judiciary are also going separate ways. As it stands, our fate appears to be hanging in a balance.

    “We are not against government disbursing any money; what we are rather saying, is that the Federal Government should attach the money to projects. Salaries and pensions must be paid till date and in full. We will be disappointed again if we do otherwise. This time we must get our acts right,” he said.

     

  •  How to attain growth, by Ahmed

    Meaningful development can only be achieved in a peaceful environment, Kwara State Governor Alhaji Fatah Ahmed has said.

    Ahmed, who was represented by the Head of Service, Hajia Zarah Umar, stated this at the opening of the 4th State Triennial Delegates Conference of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Kwara State Council at the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, Ilorin.

    He said his administration recognised the union as a partner in the development of the state.

    Praising  TUC, Kwara State Council for its effort towards members welfare,a he urged them to always use labour’s best practices in approaching the government on issues relating to members’ welfare.

    The Acting Director-General/Chief Executive of Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, Dr. Babatunde Onaeko,  stressed the need for labour to be accorded recognition in view of its strategic role in wealth creation in any economy.

    Emphasising the critical and dynamic roles of labour, he said the effectiveness of human resource depended largely on the efficient utilisation of labour in its role as the main driver of economic growth.

    Onaeko, who thanked the Kwara State Government for its continued support to the institute, urged stakeholders on harmonious relationship which, according to him, will enhance not only economic growth, but create a viable and conducive work environment for maximum labour output.

    He enjoined them to see the institute as their own and as the only institute that could give them quality education in labour and industrial relations.

    The Trade Union Congress State Chairman, Comrade Kolawole Olumo, canvassed commitment, dedication and hardwork from members.

    He said it was the only way the Congress could move to the next level.

  • Arrears: Unions vow to shut down MDAs

    Organised Labour under the aegis of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), will  shut down  Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) at the federal level unless the government pays promotion arrears, outstanding salaries and other allowances owed public servants in the next few weeks.

    Giving this indication in Lagos on Tuesday, the ASCSN Secretary-General, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal, regretted that more than a year after the promotion arrears were computed by a Presidential Committee and report submitted to the Presidency, the government has continued to ‘dilly-dally’ on the payment.

    “The issue of unpaid entitlements of workers have remained unattended to for some years now and was indeed brought to the attention of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buahri, sometimes ago for necessary action.

    “Thereafter, a circular was issued by the office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation directing all MDAs to compile the total sum involved in respect of the unpaid entitlements of their employees for settlements,” the union added.

    According to Lawal, the debts owed some categories of federal public officers include promotion arrears outstanding in some cases since 2007; first 28 days in lieu of hotel accommodation; and Duty Tour Allowance (DTA).

    Others are mandatory training allowance for training organised by the Office of the Head of the Federation (OHCSF) in 2010, burial expenses, and repatriation allowances, among others.

    “He said the reason for this statement is to alert the general public that the nation may be witnessing series of industrial actions in the public service if no concrete steps are taken to commence the payment of these indebtedness as the general feeling amongst workers is that government is not prepared at all to pay what it is owing them and that its only interest is to pay what it owes contractors.

    “Moreover, the Federal Government had bailed out state governments more than three times in the past one year including the recent one courtesy of the loan refund from the Paris Club to be able to settle their workers’ entitlements.  The same Federal Government has decided to leave its own workers in the cold for no just reason.  This is strange,” he said.

  • Workers flay privatisation

    The Public Services International (PSI) has flayed the privatisation  of some enterprises, describing the exercise as unfavourable to workers.

    At the African regional council meeting in Lagos, PSL Vice Chairman Comrade Adeyemi Peter said the privatisation process was detrimental to workers’ welfare.

    He said: “As a result of privatisation, employment is no longer secured, what you see is abuses against the workers. Virtualy every utility in our country is beig privatised, there is this mentality that government has no business in business and every thing has to do with the private sector but we are aware that most of our national assets have been sold to individuals.

    ”We also know that most of this privatisation that has been embarked upon with the country have not succeeded. The so-called privatisation has failed, and collapsed.

    ”We have privatisation of power in Nigeria, despite all the protection along all the struggles, those in government decided to go ahead to privatise but after, the privisation leads to complete collapse of our appraising.

    “We have to use the hard money of the tax payers to bail them out of it and ironically even water is no longer free, it is something that is giving workers concerns. If we do not stem it this time, we might likely get to a point where even the air we breathe will be paid for.”

    He urged the government to respect an average worker’s right and draw up an agenda on way out of workers maltreatment in the country.

    The United Labour Congress (ULC), President Joe Ajearo said there was a need for government to stop assets sale as a way out of recession.

  • BATN ‘commited’ to workers’ welfare

    BATN ‘commited’ to workers’ welfare

    The British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) has reiterated its commitment to the welfare of its employees, saying it is part of its internal human rights policy.

    Speaking with reporters, its Legal & External Affairs Director, Freddy Messanvi, said the firm has existed in Nigeria for over 100 years and  proud of its heritage and positive relationship with its staff.

    He said: “I wish to emphasise that BATN has reiterated its commitment to the welfare of its employees, as part of its internal human rights policy.

    “As part of a global operation with a local footprint in Nigeria, we are focused on placing a high premium on our human capital and great talent pool. We are also mindful of providing great and safe place to work as we understand the impact of our people in the growth and sustainability of the company. We invest in our people as we understand that they are a competitive advantage and their welfare is taken very seriously.”

    He said the firm, over the past five years, has maintained zero incidence of no work place injury and are very firm with its environment, health and safety policy implementation which applies to not just employees but also contractors, visitors and suppliers in our factories and offices.

  • NLC to Fed Govt: expedite action on minimum wage

    NLC to Fed Govt: expedite action on minimum wage

    The President, Nigeria Labour Congres (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, has said Labour may be forced to take action on the issue of mnimum wage. He said this administration was dragging its feet in constituting a tripartite committee as is the practice to negotiate a new minimum wage.

    Wabba said with  the harsh economic realities and their impact on workers Labour could not wait indefinitely for the government to respond at its own time.

    “We have since submitted a request for an upward review of the National Minimum Wage which was signed into law in 2011 by President Goodluck Jonathan, by the administration. Despite that the minimum wage was due for renegotiation after five years, the current administration is dragging its feet in constituting a tripartite committee as is the practice to negotiate a new minimum wage.

    “Though we have been told by the administration that the panel will be constituted, we enjoin the government to urgently sort out whatever is the constraint it is facing and act on the matter before we are forced to take actions that may be unpleasant,” Wabba said.

    He said in the last 12 months, the inflation rate had gone over the roof, and the masses, the salaried and the teeming millions of the unemployed, were facing very difficult times.

    He said amid these difficulties, the union had contended with a number of state governments  that had misplaced priorities and regularly refused to pay workers  their salaries as and when due.

    “Similarly pension of retired public servants have gone for several months, and in some cases, years unpaid.  We have over the last 15 months fought these state governments to pay up these outstanding wages and pension liabilities they owe workers.  We will continue to do this till all salaries and pensions across the country are fully paid up,” he said.

    On women empowerment and gender equality, Wabba called for the full implementation of gender equity policy by organisations.

    He said almost 15 years after the adoption of the policy, it was appropriate to talk about consolidating its gains.

    He said the NLC gender equity policy had enabled the Congress and virtually all its affiliates to have increased women representation at the level of leadership in their structures.

    He said: “To ensure that these changes are sustainable, the NLC constitution and that of affiliate unions were amended to ensure the inclusion of women representations at leadership levels.’’

    “At the NLC level, not only is the Chairperson of the National Women Commission now automatically a vice president of the NLC, in the 2007 delegates Conference of the Congress, two ex-officio positions were created at the level of National Administrative Council (NAC) of NLC, to be occupied by women.”