The Nation Newspaper

Tag: labour

  • Turaki takes over Labour Ministry

    Turaki takes over Labour Ministry

    The Supervising Minister of Labour and Productivity, Alhaji Kabir Taminu Turaki, has told workers in the ministry to work harder for the implementation of the Transformation Agenda in the Labour sector.

    The minister said this should be done with transparency and open door policy, in line with international best practices.

    He spoke at the weekend in Abuja when he took over the affairs of the ministry.

    Turaki, who is also the Minister of Special Duties, promised to stabilise the Labour sector for enduring peace in the work place to enhance national development.

    The minister said the enormity and urgency of the national assignment in the Labour sector required that all should unite to achieve the objectives of the ministry.

    He promised to build on the successes of his predecessor to strengthen national peace through industrial dialogue and harmony as Nigeria approached the election year.

  • Wogu: I’m leaving Labour Ministry better

    Wogu: I’m leaving Labour Ministry better

    Former Labour and Productivity Minister Emeka Wogu has said he was leaving the ministry better than he met it to contest the governorship seat of Abia State.

    The minister spoke through Deputy Director, Press, Samuel Olowookere, during his handover to the permanent secretary, Dr. Clement Illoh.

    Wogu resigned from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday to face his governorship ambition.

    The former minister said he repositioned the ministry and boosted its capacity for service delivery in the areas of crisis resolution, human and institutional development drives.

    He urged the management and workers of the ministry and its corporations to always support the implementation of the Labour-friendly Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

    Dedicating his achievements to God and the workers, Wogu expressed appreciation to the President for giving him the opportunity to serve the nation.

    He listed his achievements as the articulation of a National Policy on Labour and its approval by the FEC; mediating and facilitated the resolution of hundreds of industrial disputes; leaving the ministry with no pending national strike and securing the accreditation of Labour Studies in the country.

  • Labour faults NIMC claim on 600  fake workers

    The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has refuted claims by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) that there are 600 “fake members of staff” on its payroll.

    The association, in a statement  by its Secretary-General, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal,  said the hoax raised by NIMC over  the issue was a ploy to sack about 1,000 senior staff penciled down for rationalisation.

    The statement added that for inexplicable reason, the NIMC started a phased retrenchment of many of its staff, which had  led to the weeding out of 5,000 junior workers from the Commission.

    “After the sacking of about 5,000 junior staff, the NIMC management decided to also retrench 1,000 senior employees, who are members of this union. It was at that point that the union intervened, but since the NIMC management shunned all efforts by the association to resolve the dispute amicably, the association took the matter to the National Industrial Court for adjudication,” the statement said.

    The case is being handled by Enobong Etteh, an expert in labour jurisprudence from Rocheba Chambers.

    The ASCSN scribe recalled that the former Department of National Civil Registration (DNCR) under the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs transformed into the present National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in 2007.

    “Initially, the management of the NIMC stated that the senior staff it wants so desperately to dispense with are pool officers, who should be returned to the office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation,” he said.

    According to the union, when the NIMC could not push the position further, it began to campaign that the 1,000 senior employees do not possess requisite skills and competences and/or have irregularities in their records.

    “How can the staff, who have served the nation diligently for 20 to 33 years, be said not to be fit to work in the commission?  The truth of the matter is that some top management staff of the commission want to throw 1,000 senior employees into the job market in order to replace them with their relations and friends as they did after sacking the junior workers,” the union said.

    It, therefore, urged the public not to believe the lies it was being  fed with by the commission that there are  fake workers  in its workforce. “Moreover, the matter is before the NIC for determination and the court has granted an injunction restraining the respondent, its officers, servants, agents, privies or whosoever from commencing disciplinary process, constituting disciplinary panel, suspending the claimants, issuing any further queries or taking further steps/actions against the workers pending the determination of the suit before the court.

    “ In spite of the court injunction, the NIMC management has continued unabated, the process of removing the 1,000 senior employees from its payroll.  What manner of a society are we running when government agencies do not obey court orders?” the union wondered.

    It urged NIMC to submit itself to court processes that are on-going rather than dancing naked in the market place.

  • ASSBIFI warns against unfair labour practices

    ASSBIFI warns against unfair labour practices

    The President of Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions  (ASSBIFI),Comrade Sunday Olusoji Salako, has called on  both the government and other employers of labour in the country to take advantage of the nation’s industrial policy to partner with workers to ensure sustainability of fair labour practices for the nation’s industrial sector to thrive in harmony.

    Salako , who in an interactive session with newsmen after ASSBIFI’s capacity building  at Entry Point Hotel, Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State , called  for the implementation of the nation’s industrial policy for peace and harmony to thrive in the industrial sector.

    He said: “We call on both government and other employers of labour in the country to partner with the workers through transparent implementation of Nigeria’s industrial policy to guarantee the sustainability of fair labour practices, as well as  for foreign investors to invest in the nation’s industrial sector.

    “Our call is necessary now, because interestingly, governments around the world are increasingly strengthening labour institutions to play a leading role in the promotion of dialogue as an important reflex and to help raise the capacity of critical partners in national development agenda.

    “We also call on both government and employers of labour to embrace dialogue with workers as social dialogue is an important element in industrial peace and harmony in the workplace”.

  • $9.3m probe: Labour urges unity among lawmakers

    The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has urged members of the National Assembly to unite to investigate Nigeria’s $9.3million seized by South Africa.

    Its Secretary-General, Comrade Musa Lawal, warned that Nigerians were watching and may be pushed to take their destiny in their own hands should the issue be swept under the carpet.

    He said: “We commend those lawmakers and other Nigerians who insist that the matter be dispassionately looked into as it is one very scandalous, disgraceful and appalling issue that no one should try to play politics with.”

    He queried the circumstances surrounding the $9.3million allegedly meant for the procurement of arms for the government, asking relevant bodies to probe the deal.

    He said it was imperative for the government or its agents to clear the air on the smuggled money, rather than allowing unguarded utterances to take pre-eminence in the ongoing controversies surrounding the deal.

    “Our senators at the Upper Chamber and representatives members at the Lower Chamber must rise to the occasion for special discussion on the matter as urgent public interest revolves round it because it relates to threat to national security.

    “All relevant government agencies must also discharge their responsibilities without fear or favour, showing the world that our country is serious,” he said.

    He said as much as the workers would not want to pre-empt the outcome of a thorough probe on the $9.3 million scandal, labour cannot help but wish that the money had been spent to provide infrastructure to the economy.

    “We charge all the lawmakers, as bona fide Nigerians that they are, to be deeply concerned about the affairs of our country as they hold the mandate of the people to defend our national interests, to engender good governance and the rule of law, to ensure that corruption is drastically reduced to the barest minimum if not totally eliminated, and to take all requisite measures to keep the nation’s integrity strong and intact in the eyes of the international community,” he said.

  • Labour decries $9.38b foreign debts

    Labour decries $9.38b foreign debts

    The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has cautioned the Federal Government not to mortgage the country’s future through external borrowing.

    Its President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, said the union was worried over the country’s huge external debts, which are $9.38 billion.

    He said in 2005 under the regime of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigerians celebrated the nation’s exit from external debt, adding that it was surprising that by December 2010, Nigeria external debt portfolio had risen to $4.78 billion.

    He said: “This is very sad. If the foreign debt regime  stands at $ 9.38 billion, it follows that external debt profile has risen by almost $5 billion which is about 100 per cent in less than four years.

    “This is very unfortunate especially when the impacts of the foreign loans are not being positively felt by the generality of Nigerians.

    “Nobody should be carried away by the argument that the country debt stock is still less than 26 per cent of GDP the so called international standard.

    Kaigama said the country went through hell when its debt stock was about $ 35 billion, stressing that the country was sliding back to where we were before 2005.

    He said though the Debt Management Office (DMO) said part of the loan was injected into the power sector, there was nothing on ground to show that electricity supply has improved greatly in the country.

    DMO’s Director-General, Dr Abraham Nwankwo, had said in Abuja that the country’s domestic and foreign debt had  hit $ 66 billion over (N10 trillion) with the external component being $9.38billion.

    Kigama warned that increasing reported cases of deserters in the Nigerian Army over lack of weapons to confront the Boko Haram insurgency is a dangerous trend that can destroy the army.

    He expressed concerns over incessant refusal by soldiers to take orders from their superiors in their fight against the Boko Haram when deployed to the stronghold of the terrorist sect.

  • Lawyer becomes Labour Party chair

    Labour Party (LP) Federal Capital Territory chapter  has elected Comrade Ashimole Felix Chukwuma as its  chairman   and 19 others to pilot the affairs of the party in the next three years.

    Ashimole, a graduate of the Faculty of Law, Lagos State University(LASU), was called to the Bar in 2003 .

    He was a member of NBA Abuja branch, the (Unity Bar) before he transferred to Bwari Bar.

    He is a partner, Che Oyinatumba & Associates, a labour law, human rights and public interest litigations firm.

  • Labour: nothing to show for 15 years of democracy

    •NLC calls for credible polls in 2015

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said despite the nation’s unbroken democracy in the last 15 years, there are very few dividends of democracy to show for the period.

    The umbrella union body noted that serial acts of impunity, abuse of human rights, harassment of the media, the disruption of peaceful protests, diminishing jobs, among others, had been the hallmark of successive governments at the centre.

    It urged the Federal Government to make democracy more benevolent and beneficial to Nigerians.

    In a communiqué issue after its National Executive Meeting (NEC) in Enugu by its President, Comrade Abdulwahed Omar, the NLC said: “The NEC-in-session observed that although the nation has had 15 years of unbroken democracy, there is little to show as dividends of democracy. NEC noted serial acts of impunity, abuse of human rights, harassment of the media, the disruption of peaceful protests, diminishing jobs, etc, and urged the government to make democracy more benevolent and beneficial.

    “The NEC-in-session noted with concern the deteriorating security situation in the country, especially in the Northeast, where insurgents continue to pillage the land, and in the Southsouth, where unabated crude oil theft has all but left the economy prostrate. It, accordingly, urged the government not to relent in its effort at securing the nation.”

    The union said it had resolved to get employers of labour to maintain a group life assurance policy for their employees with a minimum benefit of three times the total emolument, in line with the provisions of the Pension Reform Act 2014, Section 4 (5).

    It decried the government’s delay in implementing the 33.3 per cent increase in pension payment approved by stakeholders and vowed to ensure its implementation.

    The NLC frowned at attempts by some officials of the Ministry of Labour to fragment industrial unions by creating false and illegal dichotomies.

    The umbrella union urged the government not to cause controversy in Labour circle.

    It hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for improving in the conduct of the elections.

    NLC said: “The NEC-in-session commended the INEC for its improved performance in the conduct of elections, but cautioned against the over-militarisation of election zones as it could be counter-productive and, accordingly, urged the government to take note.

    “The NEC-in-session called on the government to ensure that the 2015 general elections are free, fair, credible and acceptable.”

  • Labour, others to tackle HIV, AIDS pandemic

    Labour, others to tackle HIV, AIDS pandemic

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Canadian Labour Congress, International Confederation of Trade Union/Africa, and the Federal Government have signed an agreement to reduce the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the workplace.

    He trade deal, a recommendation 200 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which has a tripartite process for determining the scope and terms of reference of the national assessment, would support framework for complying with the only global standard on HIV and AIDS in the workplace.

    Addressing newsmen on the importance of the agreement to trade unions in Nigeria, Acting General Secretary, NLC, Comrade Chris Uyot, welcomed it, saying it is one that could have lasting impact on the lives of Nigerian workers and their families.

    He said: “Discussions are now underway with funding agencies to support the initiative, which will identify gaps in making the country’s workplaces stronger instruments of change for addressing the pandemic through joint union/employer actions”.

    According to Uyot, the Ministry of Labour and Productivity will drive the tripartite process with the involvement of the Federal Ministry of Health with support from the ILO, ILOAIDS and UNAIDS.

    “Employers will be represented by the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) and the Nigerian Business Coalition against AIDS (NIBUCA). The process was also welcomed by the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA).

    “R200 promotes inclusive dialogue between the three Nigerian players and deals also with the underpinnings of HIV and AIDS, including human rights, stigma and discrimination, inequality and gender issues,” he said.

  • NECA, labour bicker over refineries privatisation

    The controversy generated by the privatisation of the refineries has thrown up a lot of issues on the transparency of the privatisation programme of the government. The umbrella body for employers in the country, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), and oil workers, under the aegis of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG), are singing discordant tunes over the privatisation of the four refineries. TOBA AGBOOLA reports

    The Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) and oil workers, under the aegies of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the National Union of Petroleum and the Natural Gas (NUPENG) are in the trenches over the privatisation of the near-moribund, state-run refineries. While NECA is in support of the scheme, oil workers are against it because of the inherent job loss by their members.

    But NECA Director-General Mr. Segun Oshinowo insists that it is the only way for the refineries to perform optimally in the long run.

    He said: “If we had gone that way, the whole issue of our dependency on foreign source for fuel supply would have, to a large extent, been addressed effectively. So, the same courage and determination which this government has demonstrated in privatising the electricity sector should be extended to the refineries so that we can save financial resources that are wasted on turn around maintenance (TAM) every now and then for which we have not actually got appropriate benefits. I will want this administration to consider that as a worthwhile legacy to bequeath to Nigeria.”

    He said the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) would address the issue of the refineries.

    Oshinowo said: “How long have we been on PIB? Why can’t the privatisation of those refineries acquire a life of their own outside PIB? Which one will be faster to handle, privatising outside the PIB or waiting for the PIB that has been on the table for so long? I think we have to face certain serious policy issues in this country.

    “For us, and talking from my personal perspective, I do not see any reason the government should still be involved in the refineries.”

    However, NUPENG and PENGASSAN have rejected the planned privatisation of the refineries. In separate reactions, both unions faulted the programme, urging the government to, instead of an outright sale, the Federal Government should adopt the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) model with the National Oil Company (NOC) or the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), as owners of the four refineries holding minority share, while core investors/local participants hold the working majority. Workers, trade unions, and the host communities should also hold minority shares.

    Specifically, NUPENG wondered why government would suddenly wake up to talk about selling the four public refineriesthis year, warning that any decision on the refineries without the involvement of the organised labour would be resisted with everything at labour’s disposal.

    NUPENG’s  General Secretary, Mr. Isaac Aberare, said workers are worried about the  proposal by the Federal Government to sell the nation’s four refineries next year.

    He said caution must be exercised in the proposed sale as all stakeholders must be involved, if the plan will see the light of day.

    He said the sale of the refineries is not the solution to the massive importation of petroleum products into the country. He argued that the problem is government’s refusal to do the TAM of these refineries over the years to make them function optimally.

    He said a  lot of intrigues, power play, selfish interest to protect the cabal importing fuel had come to play, leaving the equipment in the refineries to rot away.

    “NUPENG is of the belief that more refineries should be established in the model of the NLNG strategic partnership and more investors given tax holidays and land to enable them construct new ones just like the initiative of the Dangote refinery, instead of trying to sell the nation’s assets as scraps to their people.

    “The proposed plan should be done with utmost care because the union will not fold its hands and allow its members to be thrown into the labour market that is already saturated.

    “NUPENG and PENGASSAN must be involved in wide consultations on issues like this before going on air to pronounce their sales, in order to avoid industrial disharmony,” he said.