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Tag: labour

  • El-Rufai threatening labour leaders, says NLC

    El-Rufai threatening labour leaders, says NLC

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has raised the alarm over the safety of labour leaders in Kaduna State.

    It said the government was allegedly planning to harass and intimidate the union.

    NLC further alleged that the government wants to arrest and detain workers to prevent opposition to the planned sack of workers.

    The body accused the government of trying to arrest labour leaders using the courts, saying such attitude will only compound the dispute.

    NLC President Comrade Ayuba Wabba, who spoke at the National Executive Council meeting, added that the government will  inaugurate the national minimum wage negotiation committee soon.

    He said the body resolved that if the state’s labour leaders were arrested, all state chapters would embark on a solidarity strike.

    Wabba, who said the congress was not opposed to reforms, however, noted that they are protesting lack of transparency in the reform processes.

    The union alleged that mass sack of workers was one condition laid down by the World Bank to the state for accessing foreign loan.

    He said: “NLC is disturbed and uses this medium to condemn the information we have that the Kaduna State government has sought to get a court process to arrest labour leaders.

    “NLC observes that this is not in tandem with the principles of the rule of law and due process. The court has no jurisdiction over labour and industrial relations matters, especially the issues in dispute in Kaduna, which is related to the mass sack of workers.

    “Peace and security are important. When we have instability anywhere, it means inequality will continue to be exacerbated. Therefore, we are concerned with all of this, but more important are the issues of due process and rule of law. Workers have come under serious attack because those rights have been violated and we have evidences that such rights have been violated…”

  • ‘Why we labour in our old age’

    ‘Why we labour in our old age’

    Against the popular belief that aged men and women should take life easy, sit back and enjoy the care and benevolence of their children and grand children, more and more old people now seem to throng the streets, working their bones for money. But is this out of a need to survive or a way of killing boredom?  Dorcas Egede spoke to some of them.

    IN recent times, a number of Nigerians have been embracing the old people’s home culture, a culture hitherto known and regarded as foreign or Western. This of course has been ascribed to their increasingly busy schedules, as jobs now come with higher demand on individuals’ time. Some, who wouldn’t go that way, for fear of being accused of dumping their elderly in ‘no-man’s-land’, have employed maids to take care of them, while they are away. But these notwithstanding, many aged people seem to be flooding the streets, laboring away, sometimes, very hard, to fend for themselves. Or is to keep their mind and body active?

    Writing to keep mind at alert

    Inside Pa Olabode’s compound is the closest one may ever be to nature. Around the vast compound are well-trimmed flowers of all kinds. So neat is the compound that one may mistake it for someone’s living room. This reporter soon discovered that Olabode is a stickler for clean environments, when he introduced himself. “I am Adesakin E. Olabode, and I’m a senior citizen of Nigeria and a blessed octogenarian. I am an accountant by profession but I’m an unwavering environmentalist. I do that even more than my profession. I practised my profession as an account clerk, as an accountant with Guinness, Texaco Nig Ltd. and others. But more importantly, my view is that Nigeria is a dirty country. In 1978/79, Lagos was being described as the third dirtiest city in the whole world and I did a lone demonstration at the Lagos State secretariat when Alhaji Lateef Jakande was governor. It was a result of that action that he started the Ministry for the Environment, when he appointed Alhaji A. L. Masha, as Commissioner for Environment. That was what turned Lagos around, but they’re spoiling it again instead of improving on the system.”

    Though the nearly 84 year old man has retired from his accounting profession, he is still very unretired as a writer and author. Asked how long he has been writing, he said, “Since the 60s. I have a lot of unpublished and published works. I think my first work was on Awo in Nigeria’s political storms in 1966. It was published and distributed freely. I’m working on my next book. I just finished one, which I’ve not published. Reading and writing help to keep my mind at alert.”

    Pa Olabode is absolutely passionate about Nigeria and would like to see the nation change for the better. He is resolutely determined to keep writing things that will effect a change in the nation. He believes that if his voice isn’t heard now, he would at least leave a lasting legacy in prints for generations yet unborn. “Like I recently said to my children, who are mostly accountants, I’m not a rich man, but I want to die as an institution. You may ask me why, but it is because I have ideas. That’s why we always say the grave is the richest place in the world. Because we have ideas and these ideas are not actualised, they’re not accomplished, they’re not brought out, and before you know it, the person is dead and all the ideas are buried with him. There are lots of things I’ve written and yet to publish; look at them, if they’re publishable, then publish them, so that when I am dead, people will have research materials. One of my previously published books is, ‘Thinking aloud with you.’ It was published in 2014 when I turned 80. The one I’m currently working on is ‘Deep thoughts,’ and it’s basically on our country.

    What’s Pa Olabode’s typical day like? “I’m up as early as 4/4:30 in the morning. The first thing I do is thank God for giving me another day to live. I do not take for granted the privilege of sleeping and waking. After this, I go brush, shave, because I shave every morning, then I proceed to have my quiet time, where I pray and allow God speak to me through his word. Thereafter, I proceed for the family devotion. After the morning devotion I can walk around. I do walk around fairly. After walking around, I take my breakfast and get to work, writing or reading. I also find time during the day to pay visits to members of my church in the neighbourhood.”

    Still doing supply rounds at 77

    Every time you see Mrs. M. A. Joseph, 77 behind the wheels, you’re most likely going to be struggling within yourself to come to terms with the fact that she has lived nearly eight decades. She’s as strong behind the wheels, as any young person. On this particular morning, she was smartly dressed in a pair of pants, a tee-shirt and a fez cap; ready to go out for supplies.

    Though she looks every bit as strong as a hart, mama said she tries not to drive too far away from her immediate environment. “I drive within Festac and environs” she said. As a business woman who has to daily supply goods to her customers, mama said, “I go out for supplies daily, but I make sure I only go to a few places I know will not put too much strain on me.”

    Mrs. Joseph lives with one of her grandsons. Even though her children are all well-established and take care of her, mama insists on working “just for the fun of it and to keep me going.” This is owing to the general belief that old people tend to grow weaker and even die, if they embrace idleness.

    A visit to some markets revealed that a number of aged women who ought to be in homes for the old or at best, being taken care of in their children’s homes are still working rather hard for their age and strength to irk out a living for themselves and maybe their children. In a market at Ayobo, in the Alimosho LGA of the state, our reporter spoke with some aged market women to find out why they were still working at their age. Iya Suliat (not real name) who sat behind limes and garden eggs, which she displayed at the market, when asked why she still had to work at her age, said in Yoruba “Bi ilu se ri na ni” meaning that the state of the nation has required her to keep working to fend for herself. How about her children? This reporter quipped. From the response she gave it was obvious that even her children had a hard time taking care of themselves, she only prayed life would deal kindly with them so that they would be able to take care of her. “We are praying that it will be well with them and they will be well established in life.”

    Iya Jimoh (not real name) on the other hand, trades in limes, whole and juiced lime, packaged in bottles. She revealed to this reporter that she used to sell vegetables in large quantities before. Needless to say, now she is no longer as strong as she used to be, and so cannot sell more than what she had displayed on her table. According to the old woman, her children have constantly prodded her too stop going to the market. In fact, she told our reporter that she had just returned from staying with one of her daughters for nearly three months, within which she was sick and recuperating, but that as soon as she regained her strength, she had quickly taken her things and run back to her own apartment, as she couldn’t wait to continue with her buying and selling. Though she couldn’t exactly tell her age, she should be in her late 70s at the least.

    According to her, staying idle at home would only cause her health to degenerate the more. She strongly believes she is better off leaving the house every morning, even though she merely makes anything substantial enough to sustain her.

    Mr Owolabi Michael Arogundade is a 60 year old school bus driver, who as a result of the hard blows life has dealt him, looks like he’s in his late 70s. “I started driving for the Federal Government Staff School, Ijanikin 10 years ago when I couldn’t continue my work as a mechanic anymore. I am also a small pastor in one of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.”

    Asked why he was still driving a school bus at his age, he said,

    “I am still working because I don’t have money in a bank to fall back to and I am not going to be entitled to anything after retirement. The only thing that can make me retire now is if I am fully ordained a pastor because I can’t go back to being a mechanic, which is my original trade, so I will keep working until I can work no more, because I have  a son  that is still in Junior Secondary School and I pay his fees.”

    Born 1946, 71 year old Patrick Adefioye, works at the Alimosho Local Government Council. “I am occupying an elective position. I am a member of the Community Development Committee, CDC. We were elected by communities to come and represent the different communities in this local government. We have about 214 communities under this local government and 22 of us were elected to oversee activities of these communities and report back to management of this Council.”

    Adefioye, who is apparently working to stay busy, when asked how he’s coping with the work said he finds it very enjoyable because he wasn’t used to being idle.

  • Unpaid salary: Labour hails Buhari’s knocks for governors

    Unpaid salary: Labour hails Buhari’s knocks for governors

    Organised Labour has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for condemning governors who are still owing their workers despite several bailouts.

    At separate events, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and National Union of Textile Garments and Tailoring Workers of Nigerian (NUTGTWN) said the President had shown a rare value by telling governors the truth on how he felt about their failure to pay salaries and pensions, despite the Federal Government’s interventions.

    The TUC also floored some governors for asking for the release of 50 per cent of the Paris Club loan refund, even when they could not account for the tranches released to them.

    The union lamented the plight of workers in the states and the need for urgent attention as many could barely survive.

    “For us, President Muhammadu Buhari was right when he expressed surprise on how some governors manage to sleep soundly when workers have not been paid their salaries for months. The president even wondered how the workers feed their families; pay their rents and the school fees of their children,”the TUC said.

    TUC President Bobboi Bala Kaigama said the Congress believed that the President asked these vital questions because he still has his conscience intact, noting that most of the nation’s political leaders have sold their conscience.

    “They don’t feel our pains neither do their children and cronies. What is N18,000 (Eighteen thousand naira) when juxtaposed with the prevailing economic realities in the country? It is a pity our governors prefer statues of foreigners to our health, children’s education, job creation and other meaningful activities that help build a strong society.

    “We believe in the President, but he alone cannot do it. Efforts to fight corruption have become a mirage. Experts have argued that one way recession can be addressed is when the wage of workers is increased; unfortunately the last wage increase we had was in 2011. Though due for review, but some forces who take delight in using our children as political thugs have refused. They want the status-quo (master-servant relationship) to remain.  They tell us that the economy is in recession yet it does not affect them,” he said.

    Kaigama urged the Federal Government to hold on to the money until the workers and pensioners were fully paid.

    “The governors are stock-piling the released fund somewhere waiting for 2019 election campaign, but we are going to surprise them. It is not going to be business as usual,” he said.

    NUTGTWN General Secretary Issa Aremu said it was laughable that the governors could have the effrontery to approach the President for another bailout when all they have received in the past were not used for the purpose they were meant for.

    The labour leaders, speaking at the 29th Annual National Education Conference of NUTGTWN in Sokoto, said Nigeria’s case has become a one-day one-trouble-affair.

    “Only two weeks ago, some ministers made a case for “No Work No Pay” doctrine. Their argument was that they want to check the public service workers in the country. Just imagine, how do you tell a worker that has not been paid for six months to continue to borrow to fare himself or herself to job? How do you explain it that a country that is broke still pays twitter lawmakers over N29 million on a monthly basis. This is inhuman, wicked, derogatory and devilish,” he said.

    Aremu, who is also the vice president of the Industrial Global, said the government should endeavour to pay workers all they had worked for before trying to enforce the no work, no pay doctrine.

    He maintained that the governors should be seen supporting the Federal Government in reviving the economy and this could be done by paying workers their wages.

    “The workers are the consumers, if they are not paid where would they get the money to buy finished products from our industries. It is only when our factories thrive that the economy can rebound. The workers are the ones that support the artisans and other sectors of the economy. The importance of a living wage, paid as at when due, cannot be over emphasised,”he said.

  • Labour Ministry partners NISCN on occupational safety

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige has expressed his ministry’s readiness to continue to partner with the National Industrial Safety Council of Nigeria (NISCN) to ensure and promote occupational safety and health of Nigerian workers in their workplaces.

    Ngige spoke when he received on courtesy visit the newly elected executives of the National Industrial Safety Council of Nigeria led by its president, Mr Cletus Akhigbe.

    He explained that the partnership will focus on ensuring that Nigerian workers are safe in their workplaces.

    “I want to assure you that the Ministry of Labour and Employment will give you the needed moral and technical support to deliver on the mandate of the council’’, he added.

    Congratulating the newly elected executives, Ngige tasked the council to be guided by the principles of international best practice by imbibing the spirit of tripartism as enshrined in the constitution of the Council

    He also advised the council to review its constitution and avoid ambiguities and misinterpretation that could be exploited to derail the founding objectives of the council.

    “We will also throw you a challenge about your constitution, to look into areas of ambiguities and amend them, because this was part of the problem we had in the past as certain people tried to translate the constitution in a way to benefit themselves although it did not materialise” Ngige counseled.

    In his remarks, Comrade Cletus Akhigbe the National President of the National Industrial Safety Council of Nigeria, stated that the council requires the support of the ministry in order for it to deliver on its mandate of safeguarding the occupational safety, health and welfare excellence in Nigeria.

    “The new executive is fully aware of the fact that we may not achieve good success if we do not work with the ministry, we assure you of our resolve to fully work with the ministry to achieve occupational safety, health and welfare excellence in Nigeria.” The President said.

  • Kogi: Labour suspend talks with govt over killing of union leader

    Kogi: Labour suspend talks with govt over killing of union leader

    The Chairman of the Non Academic Staff Union of Secondary School, Science and Technology Education Board (STEB) branch in Kogi State, Mallam Abdulmumini Yakubu has been murdered by unknown gunmen.

     

    Following the development, the organized  labour in the state on Thursday suspended ongoing negotiation with government.

     

    The negotiation which took off on Wednesday was to explore ways of resolving knotty issues on the salary crisis in the state.

     

    The late Yahubu, who doubled as a community leader was reportedly murdered at Ozuwaya, in Okene Local Government Area, alongside one Mallam Ibrahim Otaru, who was on a visit.

     

    Sources close to the family said he was killed by heavily armed gunmen, while performing ablution preparatory to observing his prayer.

     

    The killers numbering about five were said to have alighted from a Toyota Sienna vehicle and opened fire on their victims.

     

    The gunshots were said to have scared those around running for safety, upon which the unidentified gunmen ensured that Yakubu was dead before they zoomed off.

     

    “Mallam Abdulmumin Yakub was killed at Ozuwaya in front of his house by unknown gunmen. He was shot on the head together with one other person.

     

    “It’s a shame that our society has turned into blood society… by taking innocent lives, whether for personal, worldly or whichever reasons,” said a source.

     

    Until his death, Yakubu was a staff of Kogi State Science Teachers Board Lokoja, Kogi State, NASU Chairman and Ozuwaya Community chairman.

     

    In a related development, unknown gunmen on Tuesday night killed a 55 year old man, identified as Abdulganiu Aduki.

     

    His five year-old daughter and the wife sustaines injury in the incident at Nagazi in Adavi LGA.

     

    It was gathered that the incident took place at Inori Street of Nagazi, around 7.30pm on Tuesday.

    The gunmen were saidcto have stormed the house, shot him dead while his daughter and wife sustained varying degree of injury during the attack.

     

    The gunmen were said to have left thereafter without taking anything away from the house.

     

    The administrator of Adavi LG, Mallam Abu Enesi Ajoge was said to have rushed the woman and her daughter to the hospital for medical attention.

     

    The deceased, it was gathered worked as a carpenter at Inoziomi area of Adavi local government.

     

    “The killers came on Tuesday evening, shot him and injured his daughter and his wife. The attackers were not robbers; they went to the man directly. I was told that they did not take away any property”, said a resident of the area.

     

    Policemen from the Adavi division later came to the area to take photographs and evacuate the body.

     

    The Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. William Ayah confirmed the incident.

     

    According to him, the police will “surely get the killers of Abdulganiu”.

     

    Ayah, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), added: “There was a report that the man was dead and was in a pool of blood and his daughter and wife were confirmed seriously injured.

     

    “His wife and daughter were also seriously injured and they have been taken to a hospital for treatment.

     

  • Labour, civil society seek change in governance

    The organised labour and members of civil societies have advocated change, peaceful revolutions and governance overhaul.

    According to the groups, which cut across human rights activists, community-based organisations, students, academics, doctors, internationalists and artisans, these would provide solution to Nigeria’s problems.

    They noted that the wrong use of the country’s resources had inflicted hardship on the masses, adding that 57 years after independence, there were no good roads, healthcare structures, electricity, employment, and security. They stated that the country was ridden with economic crises.

    Speaking at the National Discourse titled: “Economic crises and ethnic secession, restructuring or system change,” organised by the Joint Front Action (JFA), at the NLC Lagos secretariat in Yaba, Lagos, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Lagos State University (LASU) Chairman Isaac Oyewumi said labour needed to be prepared if it was truly in need of change.

    He said: “We need to sit down and ask ourselves questions and determine way forward on how to solve our problems. What we need is continuous non-violence agitation until we achieve our dream.

    ”In terms of mismanagement of our resources, it is the common man that suffers the hardship. The ordinary man on the street, workers, community members, artisans, among others, need to feel the impact of the government. Today, there is no steady electricity supply in the country and many other problems; so, I believe it is time for us to take our destiny in our hands.”

    Mr. Ikechukwu Ikeji of the Constitutional Right and Peoples Development Advocacy Initiative (CRAI) said what Nigerians needed was change and not restructuring, lamenting that because there were no healthcare structures, political leaders travelled abroad for medication.

    He called for a new code of conduct for elected officials, where they would be compelled to patronise local services and public utilities, such as medical and educational facilities, among others, instead of going abroad.

    “We call for a new law to make it compulsory for every public officer, elected or appointed, to use hospitals in Nigeria for all ailments and to send their children and wards to only Nigerian schools.”

    Ikeji noted that there was high level corruption in Nigeria among the so-called cabals, who have been sharing, the collective patrimony and commonwealth among themselves.

    “We therefore, insist on equitable distribution of same among Nigerians,” he said.

    Ikeji stated that the 1999 Constitution, even as amended, was fraught with irregularities.

    “We insist that any genuine change in Nigeria will have to start from correcting the fraud inherent in the constitution, such as not being autochthonous and lacking the imprimatur of the people it seems to constitute. We call for a pure and adulterated people constitution that will be subject to a genuine process of referendum”, he said.

  • ILO: 40m in modern slavery, 152 m in child labour worldwide

    The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has warned that the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals may be under threat with the alarming figure of 40 million in modern slavery and 152 million children in child labour across the globe.

    New research developed by the ILO and the Walk Free Foundation, in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), has revealed the scale of modern slavery around the world.

    The data, released at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, showed that more than 40 million around the world were victims of modern slavery in 2016.

    The ILO also released a companion estimate of child labour, which confirmed that about 152 million children, aged between five and 17, were subject to child labour.

    The new estimates also show that women and girls were disproportionately affected by modern slavery, accounting for almost 29 million, or 71 per cent of the overall total.

    Women represent 99 per cent of the victims of forced labour in the commercial sex industry and 84 per cent of forced marriages.

    The research revealed that, among the 40 million victims of modern slavery, about 25 million were in forced labour and 15 million were in forced marriage.

    Child labour remained concentrated primarily in agriculture (70.9 per cent). Almost one in five child labourers work in the services sector (17.1 per cent) while 11.9 per cent of child labourers work in industry.

     

  • Labour seeks national unity

    Labour seeks national unity

    The organised labour has said Nigeria’s 57th independence anniversary should be an opportunity for sober reflection by political leaders.

    Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Comrade Ayuba Wabba said those calling for seccession should rethink their actions as there is strength in unity.

    Wabba said: “When all seems down and out, we always find ways of overcoming our adversaries. As we mark this year’s anniversary in the midst of a recessionary economy, and amid massive suffering and unprecedented challenges in the polity, we must keep faith, that we will overcome our difficulties and challenges, and, ultimately, triumph over our socio-economic and political challenges.

    “As the biggest black nation on earth, we owe it as a duty to the black race, both on the continent and in the diaspora, to build a united and prosperous nation.”

    Wabba pointed out that conflict would hurt everybody, particularly workers, pensioners and their families.

    According to him, dialogue remains the best formula for conflict resolution.

    “Thus, those fanning the embers of disunity need to be discouraged and schooled on the realities of war. In the same vein, we appeal to all  Nigerians not to fall for the glamorisation of conflict or war as a solution to our self-inflicted crisis,” he added.

    Wabba called on Nigerians to  fight those promoting division, adding that they are fighting for their vested interests.

    He said: “Let us, therefore, not allow them to use poor Nigerian workers, pensioners and peasants as cannon fodders for their selfish interests. The desperate but vocal few cannot and should not be allowed to speak for the majority of us.”

    According to Wabba, labour has,  over the decades, stood for one Nigeria, right from its founding fathers who were in the frontline of the struggle for independence, through leaders who led the masses to fight against the imposition of neo-liberal policies by military dictatorships.

    Wabba said: “Our common enemy, and whom we must all resolve to face, remains the corrupt political class, who instead of utilising the God-endowed wealth of our nation, choose to loot it for themselves and their children thereby depriving us of decent living and inflicting on us a scarred collective psychology that is predominantly negative, hostile and unproductive.

    “On our part, we are determined to stop our elites and their lackeys from throwing us into another avoidable civil war.”

    TUC President Comrade Bobboi Kaigama condemned the clamour for restructuring.

    He reaffirmed TUC’s commitment to the unity of the country, but opposed politically-motivated restructuring.

    According to Kaigama, a fragmented Nigeria would not serve any good. He said there was nothing to celebrate as all was still not well with the country.

    The TUC chief criticised the excessive spending by some politicians who travel overseas without  replicating the amenities they enjoy abroad at home.

    Kaigama said: “It is laughable that our leaders travel abroad but do not replicate what they see and enjoy over there. Why will the country not be hit by recession when politicians spend 80 per cent of their jumbo pay in buying properties in Dubai, United Kingdom, United States and South Africa, among others?

    “How can the education sector run a full session without strikes when the children of politicians school abroad? The deplorable state of our roads is not a priority because they fly.

    “When the system favours them they make no comments, but when it is otherwise they import arms and assemble youths to distabilise the system. The crises and agitations we see everywhere today are outcome of disenchantment.

    Kaigama said the nation’s  key functionaries and institutions must be made to work like elsewhere.

    NLC Lagos State chapter chairman Comrade Idowu Adelakan attributed the high rate of crime to unemployment among youths.

    “As such, nothing calls for celebrating the country’s independence anniversary since some states are still unable to comply with the minimum wage of N18,000. Most states are still owing workers and pensioners their salaries.

    “As far as we are concerned, the governors are not willing to pay, and it is not because they cannot pay. We believe they can pay. They only believe in awarding contracts, which is their major priority,” he said.

  • Govt to reposition Michael Imoudu Labour Institute

    Govt to reposition Michael Imoudu Labour Institute

    The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment is to collaborate with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to reposition the Michael Imoudu Institute for Labour Studies, to train the manpower neded in all sectors of the economy.

    Minister of State for Labour and Employment Prof. Stephen Ocheni, who made this known to a group of select journalists in his office, said the Ministry would approach the NBTE and other accreditation agencies to come and inspect the institution and tell them what is required to bring it to standard.

    Ocheni said the ministry would also set a daily target for its workers, adding that there is going to be a reorientation in the ministry if it must attain the growth plan of the President.

    He said: “The Ministry has a Labour Institute which is a training arm. It is my desire to ensure that the institute is strengthened further to be able to offer programmes and award certificates that are not only needed in the Labour Ministry, but will be of immense benefit to other ministries and agencies in the entire public service.

    “For example, if you are running a certificate in Labour Inspection or in any other aspect of Labour and management, we can strengthen the institution in collaboration with other government agencies that are responsible for the accreditation of such programmes, such that qualifications obtained from there will be acceptable to other employers of labour in the country.

    “We are going to do this by collaborating with institutions like the National Board for Technical Education. We can appeal to them to come and inspect the facilities in our training institute and tell us what we need to do to meet their standard. If we are able to meet their standard, we may aspire to award diploma certificates that are comparable to diplomas awarded by Polytechnics and colleges  of technologies in the country.

    “By so doing, we are strengthening the institutional capacity of the training institute and at the same time, producing graduates that are acceptable to other sectors of the economy. We must not train ourselves and our staff for only the Labour Ministry. We will try as much as possible to diversity the knowledge that will be acquired from that institute so that they will be of benefit to other employers.

    “There are other short seminar and trainings that can improve in the employee productivity. We should, as much as possible be able to embrace the private sector orientation.”

    Ocheni said there should be daily target for civil servants, saying there is going to be a total reorientation in the ministry if we must attain the goal of economic recovering and growth plan of the President.

    “We must work hand-in-hand to ensure the success of this economic recovery and growth plan. It is not for the politicians alone, neither is it for public office holders alone.

    Civil servants have a role to play in the realisation of the objective of government’s plan for total economic recovery of this country.

  • Labour to organise rallies in states owing salaries, others

    Labour to organise rallies in states owing salaries, others

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is poised to organise rallies in states that have failed to use the bailout funds and the Paris Club refunds to pay workers’salaries.

    At the end of its Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Abuja.

    NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, said the “Name and Shame rallies” would  draw attention to the  suffering of workers who have not been paid for several months.

    The CWC meeting urged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Minister of Finance not to release the third and final tranch of the Paris Club refund until the governors make a commitment to pay the backlog of salaries and pensions.

    The CWC directed all workers, pensioners and their families to support governors that have used their funds judiciously.

    On the persistent lack of electricity, despite that power companies received about N740 billion since 2015, Ayuba said he found it difficult to rationalise why the government was planning to give N39 billion more to the Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) for metering.

    “Given that one of the conditions before the privatisation by the last administration was that the new owners would provide meters for customers within 24 months, CWC said the defaulting DisCo ought to face sanctions and not additional bailout,” Ayuba said.

    The union also condemned Morocco’s request to become a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

    “CWC feels that on account of Morocco’s continuing defiance of the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU), by continuing to occupy Western Sahara, the Kingdom should not be allowed into ECOWAS.

    “The CWC, therefore, resolved to mobilise Nigerians and all its stakeholders to ensure that the National Assembly does not support the admission of Morocco into ECOWAS,” it said.

    The NLC also hinted that it would engage in public discussions on major national issues, geared towards sensitising Nigerians and directing the government’s and citizens’ attention to the task of nation-building and inclusive development, during this year’s Independent Day celebrations.

    It also bemoaned the non-composition of the National Minimum Wage negotiation committee even after labour had submitted the names of its representatives to the committee.

    It urged the Federal Government to kick off negotiation, as the negotiating committee should have  been put in place long ago in line with the 2011 Collective Agreement.

    Congress stressed that the government and its partners should fast-track and conclude the negotiations on  time.