The Nation Newspaper

Category: Labour

  • ‘Workers most hit by recession’

    ‘Workers most hit by recession’

    •  NUFBTE returns Oyelekan as president

    Organised labour has lamented that Nigerian workers have been at the receiving end of the nation’s economic crisis.

    According to workers’ umbrella body, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the productive arm of the economy could support the resuscitation of the depressed economy only when the workers were paid promptly.

    Representing NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, at the 10th Quadrennial Delegates’ Conference of the National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE), the General-Secretary, Peter Ozo Eson, reinterated that Nigeria’s only way out of the present economic quagmire is a well remunerated workforce.

    He said: “It is unfortunate that workers are being made to suffer the effects of which they were not the cause. Owing workers or depressing them will not be the way out of recession, to get out of recession salary should be paid as at when due.”

    He maintained that only when workers spend their salaries that the manufacturing and other service sectors going through various challenges could get a respite.

    According to Ozo Eson, the organised labour was ready to ensure that no employer, be it federal, state or private employers, owe workers while equally pushing for the renegotiation of the existing minimum wage.

    “After a year that we have submitted proposal, government is yet to initiate the tripartite committee that will deliberate on it, but we want to let the government know that if this is not done before the year runs out, then they must be in delusion if they think we will keep mute as we enter the new year,” he warned.

    He, however, commended members of NUFBTE for the confidence and support given to its leadership, which made them to achieve so much within a short period.

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr. Clement Illoh, said the union has demonstrated ingenuity in the way to manage resources, built two hotels, a bottled water factory and other ventures.

    He commended the role the union played on the issue of foreign exchange restriction to their employers, which he said, was getting attention from the Federal Government.

    NUFBTE leader, Lateef Oyelekan, who won a second term along with majority of his officers, said due diligence and foresight have helped the union to move to the billionaire club.

    He noted that the achievement was possible in spite of the recession. Nigerians irrespective of status and position, he said, must be ready to make sacrifices to turn the economy around.

    “Until we all make sacrifices, that is when Nigeria can be great. The National Assembly should be committed and make sacrifices through their allowances,” he said, frowning at the National Assembly undue request.

    Oyelekan also berated employees capitalising on the recession to undermine the interest of workers, while charging government to look inward in the procurement of uniforms and other items used by the agencies and parastatals.

  • TUC urges govt to save economy

    The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has called on Federal Government to do its best to bail  the economy from recession, noting  that with a healthy economy, Nigerian youths would have better choices.

    This was said by the Lagos State Chairman of TUC, Azeez Ogunremi during industrial relations lecture tagged: “Transformational Leadership and Organising The Unorganised’ put together by the Congress.

    He stated that the high rate of unemployment could be tackled with the  improvement in the economy.

    According to him, ‘’Unemployment in Nigeria is a big issue. Those who are employed do not know what will happen tomorrow. There is no way we can solve unemployment without addressing the economy of the country. If the economy is okay, there will be employment opportunities.  The government should make it a priority to improve the economy. Labour is to work for the survival of the organisation.

    “For us we want to educate our labour leaders to know what to do at the right time and doing the right thing. Some companies have folded up today. The purpose of this workshop is to enlighten our labour leaders on how to organise the unorganised.”

    The State Controller, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr. Olawale Shado said, “the issue of union recognition is statutory. In psychology, we have two types of employers. We have some with unity frame of reference and others with paternity frame of reference. For the paternity frame of reference, they are employers who believe that they are fathers to the workers. And you know in our culture, the child is not in the position to challenge the father. They don’t want to share decision with their workers.

    “For the one with unity frame of reference,  this type of employer is ready to embrace union and ready to share decisions with the employees. On the practical aspect, some employers feel that when there is a union in place, radicalism and confrontation will come into place, and their job will be threatened. Like I mentioned earlier, an employer has no choice when it comes to the issue of union recognition because it is constitutional and statutory. As  far as the law as concerned, the law is very clear on this.”

    The National President, Association of Senior Staff of Banks and Insurance and Financial Institutions, Mrs. Oyinkan Olasanoye, said the increasing rate of casualisation in companies had made it necessary to train labour leaders on how to negotiate conditions of service.

    She said: “We realised that over the years that there are so more casual workers than the full time workers.  The difference between these workers is the irregularity in their conditions of service. We felt that the only way we can assist them to have a regular condition of service and dignity of labour is when we try as much as possible to organise them. The lecture is  a way of telling our members why we need to organise the unorganised”

    The Managing Consultant, Alz Trust Limited, Mr. Austin Okoro, addressed the theme, “Transformational leadership and organising the unorganised.

  • SMEDAN calls for establishment of SME bank

    SMEDAN calls for establishment of SME bank

    The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), has emphasised its call for the establishment of Small and Medium enterprise (SME) Bank. The said bank would be used to access funds without the bottlenecks associated with loans from other banks. This, according to the agency, would pave the way for creation of millions of job.

    Addressing the media in Lagos, SMEDAN’s Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda, said the major challenge inhibiting the development of SMEs in Nigeria remained non-accessibility of funds by the entrepreneurs, which has to be addressed by establishing a bank for the sub-sector.

    Radda, who opposed the proposed scrapping of Bank of Industry(BOI) by the Federal Government, maintained that more of such retail banks should be established along a designated bank for the SME sub-sector.

    According to him, the small and medium scale businesses would be more at home with SME banks than any other.

    As an agency saddled with the responsibility of catering for the SME in Nigeria, SMEDAN boss said the agency would establish an SME micro-finance bank to kick-start the process of creating SME bank.

    Radda, however, lamented that the agency was confronted by many challenges limiting its capability, among which included the Act of National Assembly that established the agency in 2003 to which the agency has been seeking amendment.

    He said  if the Act was amended by the National Assembly, the agency would be more empowered to develop the SME sub-sector to the higher level, adding that the agency would be able to formalise the SMEs, as many of them remained informal by creating platform through which they could easily register their businesses and have easy access to fund at the proposed SME bank.

    Radda, who noted that the agency was underfunded, said the agency would liaise with the government to allow it have 30 per cent of the tax on the luxury products imported into the country, emphasising that such luxury goods should be taxed more if imported into the country.

    He maintained that the revenue from such tax would be used to fund SMEs as it is done in other countries.

    He also appealed for the provision of enabling environment for the SMEs to thrive, while charging the Federal Government to promulgate competition law, which would regulate monopoly and other factors affecting the economic growth in the country.

    Meanwhile, Radda said there was the need for the government to ensure synergy among all agencies, ministries and departments that are saddled with similar but complementary responsibilities rather than promoting unnecessary rivalry.

    “We see one another as competitors rather than collaborators. We have forgotten that we are all working for the government and for the well-being of the citizens.

    “SON and NAFDAC should not see each other as competitors, while SMEDAN and ITF should accept that they are complementing each other’s effort to growing the economy,” he said.

    He, therefore, promised that the agency would put in all efforts to ensure that the SME sub-sector is used as a driver to take the nation out of economic recession, adding that it has been collaborating with other agencies and organisations on vocational and entrepreneurial training, capacity building and financial sourcing.

  • Unions seek inclusion of workers’ interests in PIB

    Unions seek inclusion of workers’ interests in PIB

    Oil workers under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Workers (NUPENG) have called on the National Assembly to include workers’ interests in the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) undergoing the process of being passed at the National Assembly.

    The unions made the call in a memorandum submitted to the Joint Senate Committee on PIGB at a public hearing on the Bill in Abuja. They based their memorandum on five major policy broad thrusts which are: transparency and accountability, fiscal terms,     institutional framework (minister, regulator and commercial entities), refinery and other downstream activities, and labour issues and membership of institutions, boards and committees.

    “The position of the NUPENG and PENGASSAN is that wherever matters concerning or connected with the workers such as interalia:  remuneration, pension, welfare, transfer and deployment are mentioned, the unions (PENGASSAN and NUPENG) must be involved and Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) must be respected and clearly included in the law,” the unions stated in the memorandum.

    According to the two oil and gas in-house trade unions in their memorandum titled: “PENGASSAN’s Position on the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill 2016”, the bill will determine the future of Nigerian oil and gas industry, as well as the Nigerian workers.

    The unions said: “This is more so as the bill contains provisions about staff transfers from the NNPC and other impacted government agencies. The bill also plans to change the ownership structure of the government establishments in the petroleum sector, including asset sales and eventual divestments.

    “Clearly, the PIGB is intended to privatise as much as it is practicable, government’s interest in the petroleum sector. This, if not carefully handled, will lead to serious labour issues.

    “There are also additional challenges posed by repeals of existing laws as some of the Acts establishing the government agencies except for Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF), Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) and Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) will be repealed by the PIGB.

    “The position of the PENGASSAN and NUPENG is that staff of the NNPC and all other agencies that will be impacted by the PIGB must NOT lose their jobs or be allowed to be transferred on terms and condition of service that are less favourable than what they currently have under any guise.”

    The unions noted that a major challenge that will confront the workers in the organisations and agencies that will be impacted by the PIGB, especially the National Petroleum Company, is the transition from a more socially focused organisation to a profit-focused organisation.

  • Auto policy to create 700,000 jobs, says NIPC

    Auto policy to create 700,000 jobs, says NIPC

    The Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) has said the implementation of the new automotive policy would create over 700,000 jobs.

    Speaking at the stakeholders’ forum on the Nigeria automotive industry, NIPC Executive Secretary, Ms. Yewande Sadiku, who was represented by Director, Department of Real Sector, NIPC, Mr. Reuben Kifasi, said the implementation of the automotive policy would create jobs in different clusters in the country and across the automotive value chain.

    She said: “First and foremost, the automotive industry is the most global of industries and a clear policy and strategy will serve as the route map towards Nigeria becoming a major automotive hub and significant contributor to the global value chain.

    “This will create much needed jobs, add value, boost exports, help local businesses to grow, stimulate regional development and sustain inclusive economic growth.”

    According to Sadiku, it will fast-track the growth and development of other intervening industries such as automotive spare parts, auto servicing, steel industry, rubber, petrochemicals and plastic industries, among others.

    She noted that the Nigerian National Automotive Policy, enacted in 2014, underlined the commitment the government was making to create an enabling environment where investors, local and international, can profitably serve customers in Nigeria, throughout Africa and beyond.

    Sadiku added that the public-private-dialogue was a powerfull vehicle for crafting and realigning policies, and that the feedback from such an experienced and well-informed audience will provide invaluable feedback to temper policy and sharpen strategic direction for a renaissance of the automotive industry in Nigeria.

    “As the agency of the government of Nigeria responsible for attracting domestic and foreign investment and helping indigenous companies expand, NIPC is committed in 2017 to closely collaborate with National Automotive Design & Development Council (NADDC) and other key stakeholders to promote investment into the automotive industry,” she said.

    The NIPC boss said the agency was committed to fulfilling its policy advocacy role to sustain improvements to the investment climate, thereby creating a conducive environment for private investors to actively drive the development of the sector for the benefit of the economy and people of Nigeria

  • Pensioners to get arrears in 2017

    Pensioners to get arrears in 2017

    The Executive Secretary, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Mrs. Sharon Ikeazor, has said New Nigerian and Nigeria Railway pensioners would be paid their pension arrears in the first quarter of 2017.

    Speaking with reporters, Ikeazor said the issue relating to the New Nigerian pensioners has been resolved and the pensioners would be included in the pension scheme early next year.

    She said she held meeting with the management of New Nigerian Newspaper where she informed them about the new development regarding the issue.

    Ikeazor, who was in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, to monitor the ongoing verification of federal pensioners, said she was impressed with the conduct of the exercise, adding that it was aimed at addressing difficulties faced by pensioners nationwide. She also said special arrangement would be made in order to conduct the verification exercise for federal pensioners in Yobe and Borno states because of the insecurity problem.

  • Labour seeks industrial harmony

    Labour seeks industrial harmony

    Industrial harmony in the workplace would be enhanced if the management and workers put the interest of the organisation first, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), has said.

    The Secretary-General of the Union, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal, made the declaration in a lecture he delivered at the ‘2016 Annual Seminar of the Ministry of Defence unit of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN)’ in Lagos, during the week.

    He emphasised that managements and workers have their respective interests to protect during negotiations and must always be guided by the knowledge that the survival of the organisation in question is a primary prerequisite for their continued existence as management and workers.

    “This is precisely why industrial relations experts always recommend that employers and the employees must learn to moderate their demands on each other and accord the corporate interest of the organisation a priority while pursuing their separate goals,” Lawal said.

    The ASCSN scribe, who addressed the theme: “Understanding the Principles of Negotiation, Collective Bargaining and Social Partnership in the Workplace,” posited that collective bargaining is governed by Convention 98 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on the right to organise and collective bargain.

    He advised the managements in various organisations to avoid unfair labour practices, which engender industrial conflicts in the workplace.

  • Labour vows to resist salary cut

    The Federal Government’s decision to reduce salaries of public servants in some agencies, where their salaries and allowances are far above the threshold of National Salaries and Wages Commission has not gone down well with organised labour.

    Already, organised labour is set for a showdown with the government, as various unions disclosed to The Nation that they are not ready for any reduction in salaries and allowances of their members, particularly at this time of recession.

    Labour is also irked by the government’s plan to increase tax revenue, in view of the dwindling economic resources.

    Already, evaluation and grading department officers of the Salaries Commission are said to have gone round the country to compile data on such agencies.

    Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, said last week that a circular had been issued on the approved template for the computation of operating surpluses of agencies.

    She added that there would be non-allowable expenses in the computation of operating surpluses, including salaries and staff loans in excess of approved scale by National Salaries and Wages Commission; moneti-sation of medical and other allowances; business class travel for officers other than Chairman and CEO.

    Also, salaries of some ministries and agencies were drastically cut last month with explanations that there was a new formula for determining personal income tax of workers.

    However, labour leaders, who spoke with The Nation kicked against the alleged unilateral reduction in the salaries of workers in the federal public service and warned that the move would be resisted by organised labour.

    The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) President, Comrade Boboi Kaigama, and the National President, Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI), Comrade Oyinkansola Olasanoye, frowned on what they described as the unexpected and unilateral reduction in workers’ salaries and asked for immediate refund of the money deducted.

    Comrade Kaigama said: “We kick against that and we ask the government to refund such deduction. We don’t know how they came about that. Workers have not been notified why, and about any increase in taxes. We call on them to refund Nigerian workers their money.”

    On the big disparity between the salaries of workers in the core ministries and some government parastatals, who are on the same level, the TUC president asked: “Is it now they are seeing that? “

    He noted that world over, it operates like that; those agencies have their pay package different from that of the core ministries and can’t equate it. He said if government wants to bridge the gap, it should increase the salaries of workers in the core ministries. “This is no time for reduction of salaries. We will kick against it and resist it”, Kaigama stated.

    On his part, Comrade Olasanoye said it was wrong for the Federal Government to reduce workers’ salary without due negotiating with their representatives.

    She said: “Actually, the Federal Government can’t reduce salary without informing the labour unions in the public sector. It is completely wrong. It was the same government that declared that the economy was in recession.

    “Government can’t take such a unilateral decision. Maybe they have met with the unions and other representatives of workers in the affected ministries and agencies. Maybe they have presented documented facts to their representatives on why it was important to reduce their salaries.  That I cannot say for sure, but government is bound to engage stakeholders before taking any decision that will affect workers’ welfare.”

    She noted that the government could only do such, having put in place basic amenities such as good health insurance for the workers, good housing scheme and others. She emphasised that ASSBIFI under her leadership will not support any move that will endanger workers’ welfare in any sector.

    However, the President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said he was not sure that the salary deduction story was credible. He added that the Congress had neither received any formal information about it nor confirmed it.

    Wabba said: “I am not sure it is credible. I asked the Chairman of Joint Council and that of the Federal Capital Territory of the Congress this morning, but they said the information was not credible enough.

    “We need to act on credible information and the FCT Chairman and the Joint Council Chairman are the right people to know, but we have not received any formal information on that. Salary is a right of workers and nobody can unilaterally cut it or reduce it. I enquired from them and they communicated back to me.”

    Also, the National Secretary of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Shuaibu Usman Leman, in a release titled: “Stop these deductions,” described the action as “not only callous, but also ill-advised and uncalled for.”

    He lamented that in this period of economic recession, the Muhammadu Buhari administration that was elected based on its ‘change’ mantra cannot afford any confrontation with poor workers that supported the advent of the administration. He, therefore, urged for caution.

    There was an outcry by the Federal Government staffers last week when a memo addressed to all members of staff, titled: ‘Reduction in November 2016 Salary’, stated the cut in the salary.

  • NCDMB, firm partner on job creation

    The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote, has pledged to create jobs and upscale the capacity of Nigerians in the nation’s oil and gas industry.

    Speaking during a courtesy visit to Dorman Long Engineering, at the weekend, Wabote said it would be achieved through partnership with the company.

    He added that NCDMB would use the implementation of Nigerian content to support President Muhammed Buhari’s administration to create jobs and upscale the capacity and skills of Nigerians in the oil and gas Industry.

    He lauded Dorman Long Engineering’s commitment towards building and sustaining the growth of Nigerian content, especially ongoing work on the Egina project.

    He, however, noted that the urgent task before the board would be to review its activities and implementation process and evolve new strategies.

    Chairman of Dorman Long Engineering, Dr Timi Austen-Peters, thanked the Chairman for his words of encouragement and assured the team of Dorman Long’s commitment to Nigeria.

    He added that the company was ready to key into the Federal Government’s job creation plan through the development of local content.

    “There’s no doubt that we are partners in progress and we would like to reassure you that we have extensive plans that would be strongly beneficial to Nigeria’s socio-economic climate.

    “Our expansion plan will see significant job creation, skills and technology transfer, as well as capacity building,” he said

  • Union defends leader on retirement

    The Nigeria Civil Service Union has said its National President, Comrade Kiri Mohammed, is still in the service of Jigawa State Government. It debunked claims that he has been  retired  describing the allegation as baseless and unfounded.

    Acting General Secretary of the union, Comrade Felix C. Ifoh, said in a statement that the alleged retirement of Comrade Mohammed, who is also the Deputy National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, was laid to rest in January when the Jigawa State Head of Service dispelled the rumour.

    Comrade Ifoh said the union has no vacancy in the office of the President, as the union’s ‘National Executive Council (NEC), at its meeting in October, 2015, ordered all the serving National Administrative Council (NAC), State/Federal Administrative Council members to serve out their tenures till October, 2017 for the National Delegates Conference (NDC) of the union.

    According to Ifoh, the decision was also ratified by the Special Delegates Conference (SDC) of the union held in Kaduna in March 2016.

    He added that the Jigawa State Head of Civil Service had disowned the purported letter, saying it was forged.

    According to him, the forged letter with reference No AP/631/EST/21/ VOL.2, dated 26/10/2015 and signed by one Abdullahi Musa, for Director of Establishment, was addressed to the General Secretary, Nigeria Labour Congress.

    He further said that while those who alleged that Comrade Mohammed had retired from service claimed that the NLC wrote a letter to the Jigawa State Civil Service seeking clarification, the NLC has denied writing any letter seeking clarification on the matter as there was no controversy over Mohammed’s employment status in the Congress.

    Ifoh said that the denial by the Congress was contained in a letter dated January 25, addressed to the Office of the Head Service, Jigawa State, and was signed by the General Secretary of the Congress, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson.