The Nation Newspaper

Tag: labour

  • Labour blames govt for inefficient electricity metering

    •Minister explains payment for meter 

    The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has blamed the Federal Government for the inability of the successor companies from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to ensure effective metering of its customers in the country.

    The National Secretary of NUEE, Comrade Joe Ajero, said the dearth of meters for electricity consumers in the country is because there is no company that manufactures meters in the country.

    Ajaero blamed the government during the inauguration of the electric power system simulator and mechanical training workshop at the Ijora Regional Training Centre as well as the newly upgraded 36-room executive hostel at Akangba Regional Training Centre, both in Lagos, by the Minister of State, Power, Hajia Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi.

    The facilities are owned by the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN).

    Ajero said the inability of the Federal Government to build meter manufacturing companies in the country caused the inconstancy pronouncement by the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on payment for meter. The NERC Chairman, Dr. Sam Amadi, had initially told Nigerians that meters would be issued free of charge but a few months later, he reversed himself and said that meters would be paid for.

    The NUEE scribe criticised Nigeria’s total reliance on imported meters for consumption in-country. “Most of the meters that are in use in the country were imported by government which contributed immensely to the scarcity of meters we experience. The country would no longer continue to import meters. As big as we are as a country, we should at least have two to three meter manufacturing companies.

    “Government should urgently find lasting solution to the issue of meter manufacturing in the country before the sector is finally handed over to the investors.”

    The Minister of State for Power, Hajia Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi, however, quickly debunked what Ajaero said. She said that the allegation that Nigeria has no meter manufacturing company is untrue, adding that Nigeria has two metering manufacturing companies in Lagos and Zaria in Kaduna.

    Speaking on the reports of reversal of free meters for electricity consumers, Kuchi said that the government could not afford to buy the meters and give them free in view of budgetary constraints.

    She said: “Instead of the government to buy and give the meters free, we said let individuals take ownership, buy these meters and install them so as your tariffs are being done, the cost of meters will be deducted in terms of supply of the electricity the customer consumed. That is what the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) is saying. It is not that NERC is reversing self. We wanted to go one way to do free metering for all Nigerians, then we realised the quantum cost in terms of budgeting, which we don’t have.

    “And we have privatisation round the corner, so how do we commit the successor companies? We cannot commit them so we are looking for a way out. The metering should continue supply of light and tariffs can be sequenced into payment and then when the successor companies come, we just flow with it instead of committing them and when they come it becomes an issue; that is all NERC is saying.”

     

  • Labour unions urged to embrace health scheme

    Labour unions urged to embrace health scheme

    Labour leaders in Plateau State have been urged to encourage their members to embrace the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to ensure quicker access to healthcare services for them and members of their families at almost no cost to them.

    Speaking in Jos at a two-day interactive forum with Labour leaders, the North Central Zonal Coordinator of the Scheme, Alhaji Alkali Ibrahim equally urged the workers to join.

    The forum was organised by the North Central Zone of the Scheme.

    Alhaji Ibrahim reiterated embracing the scheme was beneficial to both participating States and the enrollees who stand to gain from the objectives of the Scheme.

    He said participation in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) will accrue money to States and the participants and ensure better health care facilities for improved healthcare services to the people and called on the workers to embrace the scheme wholeheartedly.

    He explained that the objectives of the scheme are to ensure that every Nigerian had access to good health care service, protect families from the financial hardship of huge medical bills, limit the rise in the cost of health care services, ensure equitable distribution of health care cost among different income groups, maintain high standard of health care delivery services within the scheme among others.

    Ibrahim stressed that the objectives could only be achieved if all concerned keyed into the scheme.

    Responding on behalf of the organised Labour unions in the state, the Secretary, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Ade Akinbo said the scheme is a laudable initiative that must be keyed into by the state government and embraced by the workforce.

    The Labour scribe urged government at all levels to as a matter of urgency fully key into the scheme so that the workforce could enjoy the dividend of democracy by getting access to improved healthcare at subsidized cost.

    The forum saw participants asking questions and getting clarifications of areas where they had doubts with participants promising to enlighten others on the need to embrace the NHIS.

     

  • Labour hails proposed ban of energy drinks’ importation

    Two unions in the food and beverage sector on Friday backed lawmakers’ move to ban importation of energy drinks because of the health implication of such products on the consumers.

    The unions are the National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) and the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB).

    They reacted to the recent move by House of Representatives to ban energy drinks.

    The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the House of Representatives on January 22 moved to ban the importation and sale of caffeinated drinks popular known as energy drinks.

    The move followed a bill sponsored by a member of the house, Mr. Yacoob Bush-Alebiosu.

    Experts said the drinks have life threatening effect on blood pressure, functioning of the head and brain while up to 250 ml of the drinks can lead to blood-clotting complications.

    NUFBTE’s President, Mr. Lateef Oyelekan, told NAN in Lagos that the union supported the planned ban on imported energy drink to protect Nigerians from “untimely death.”

    He said that beverage companies in the country were not involved in the production of energy drinks.

    He urged members of the House of Representatives to take steps further to also ban imported beverages, spirits and wines for killing the locally produced ones.

    Oyelekan said that most imported food drinks and beverages had short life span and did not follow the requirements of NAFDAC or other regulatory agencies.

     

  • Labour ministry’ll implement budget, says Wogu

    ALTHOUGH it is less than a month for this year to end, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu has assured that the ministry would implement fully the budget.

    The Minister said in Abuja, during the 2013 budget defence and performance presentation of the current budget before a Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives on Labour and Employment.

    In a statement by Mr Samuel Olowookere, the Assistant Director (Press) of the ministry, Wogu said the ministry was on track to achieve its target by the end of this year.

    It added that the ministry had made some achievements in some areas as stipulated in the performance contract being driven by the key indicators.

    The statement said the ministry had achieved eight out of 12 per cent on the provision of industrial peace and harmony.

    It said the ministry had strengthened employment policies as no fewer than 2,556 jobs were generated by 639 enterprises under the Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP).

    It added that the ministry and its agencies had complied with the budgetary provision of 2012.

    The statement said Senator Wilson Ake, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity, expressed satisfaction with the performance of the ministry.

    It said Hon Ayi Essien, the Chairman, House Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity, promised to examine the ministry’s new budget.

  • Amosun and Ogun Labour House

    Amosun and Ogun Labour House

    SIR: I watched the news of the commissioning of the first ultra-modern secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ogun State chapter, on the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) network news on October 1, by the governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

    Upon further enquiries, I realised that the governor played a major role in the construction of that very first edifice of the labour movement in Ogun State.

    As an ex-labour leader, I felt particularly elated by the kind gesture of the governor. For me that was the only public event that made the National Day celebration worth its while.

    Not many actually understand that both Labour and government are partners in progress and that any investment by the latter on the former will only foster better employer-employees relationship, increase productivity of workers, all in the overall interest of the entire citizenry.

    Senator Amosun had reportedly said during the electioneering campaign in 2011 that he would help NLC with a new secretariat if its members gave their support to him in the election.

    The fulfilment of this promise is an eloquent testimony to the credibility of Governor Amosun.

    How often do many of our politicians renege on their promises after getting to power!

    I commend Amosun not just for supporting Labour with this very first modern edifice in Ogun State but his commitment to payment of salaries of workers as and when due since his inauguration in May, 2011.

    Finally, I appeal to the governor to clear the arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities owed workers by the immediate past administration.

    I know he inherited a lot of debt and has cleared some of the backlogs of salaries owed workers by Otunba Gbenga Daniel, but he should do more.

    •Alhaji Lateef Ogunlana,

    Ilaro, Ogun State

  • Labour praises Senate on Labour Safety bill

    Labour praises Senate on Labour Safety bill

    Workers in the food and beverage sector have praised the Senate for passing a bill seeking to cater for the safety, health and welfare of Nigerian workers.

    The workers under the aegis of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE), who spoke through their President, Comrade Lateef Oyelekan, said the passage was a welcome development.

    The Bill, which was sponsored by Senator Chris Anyanwu (APGA-Imo), was passed last week.

    It seeks to repeal and re-enact the Factory Act, 2004 to make comprehensive provisions for securing the safety, health and welfare of persons at work.

    It also seeks to protect others against risks to safety and health with regards to activities of persons at work, in addition to  establishing  the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health.

    Oyelekan told The Nation that “these are the types of document that law makers should endorse to make work easier for Nigerians. Many employers don’t give a damn what happens to their workers, for such employers, one needs a legal document to put them on track.”

    The amended bill  contains  111 clauses and clause 83  deals with offences and penalties.

    It reads in part; “Any employer who fails to comply with any of the provisions of clauses 29-37 of this bill relating to the duty of the employer commits an offence.

    “The person shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than one year or to a fine of not less than N500,000.

    “Both fine and imprisonment in case of an individual and a fine of not less than N2 million for a corporate body, and in addition, each director or manager of the body shall be liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than one year.

    “Clause 31 (1)of the Bill also states that an employer shall after being notified by a female employee that she is pregnant, adapt the working conditions of the female employee in such manner as to prevent occupational exposure.

    “This is to ensure that the embryo is afforded the same level of protection as required for members of the public and the employer shall not consider the notification of pregnancy as a reason to exclude the employee from work.

    “The employer is also required by this law to ensure that any female employee that is pregnant or nursing a baby is not exposed to ionising radiation at the work place.

    On the construction and disposal of machinery, the bill in clause 52, stipulates that any person who manufactures, assemblies, sells or lets or hire any machine that does not comply with the requirement of this clause commits an offence.

    The person shall be liable to a penalty of N50,000 for the first case of non compliance and N100,000 for every subsequent case of non compliance or N50 million for the first case of non compliance and N500 million for every subsequent case.

    The Senate President, David Mark, who presided over  the plenary session, noted that the bill had already been passed in the House of Representatives.

    Mark advised that a conference committee be set up as soon as possible to harmonise the Bill and forward it to the President for his assent.

    The Bill was initially presented to the Senate as an executive bill but was represented as a private member bill by Anyanwu.

    The Bill, which had passed second reading on May 17, was referred to the joint committees on Employment, Labour and Productivity, Health and Establishment and Public Services for further legislative action.

     

  • Labour market defies economic slump

    THE LABOUR market in the UK continued to recover strongly in the three months to July/August, despite the double dip recession, the Office for National Statistics revealed on Friday.

    Employment rose 236,000 in May to July, compared to the February to April period, putting the total at 29.56m, just 11,000 below its all-time peak in early 2008.
    The unemployment picture also improved, edging down 7,000 during May to July on the labour force survey measure, and slipping 15,000 on the claimant count measure for August, also released.

    Big increases in population, and 181,000 fewer economically inactive individuals aged 16-64 compared to the previous three months – the largest decrease since records began in 1977 – account for the fact unemployment is basically flat despite rapid job growth.

    Of the close to a quarter of million gaining jobs, 102,000 were full-time employees, and 134,000 part-time. Self-employment hit a new all-time high at 4.2m, with 52,000 extra people officially working for themselves.

    The rise in jobs has not come from ministerial fiat. Excluding the reclassification of institutions providing further and higher education, the public sector shed 39,000 staff in the second quarter, while the private sector increased employment by 275,000. Although this data is one month in arrears compared to the rest of the data, it fits in well with the overall trend.

    But some analysts said that the employment picture was too good to last in such a gloomy overall economic climate. “The economy would have to be growing in excess of trend rates to sustain these levels of job creation, so we must expect some payback in the form of falling employment levels in the months ahead,” said Andrew Goodwin at the Item Club.

    Average weekly earnings were just 1.4 per cent up in the three months to July, compared to the year before, despite consumer prices going up 2.6 per cent, meaning workers took a real wage cut. The upshot of a real wage cut is that workers look more attractive to employers, potentially helping to explain the employment boost.