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Tag: May Day

  • Cross River workers get May salaries on May Day eve

    Cross River workers get May salaries on May Day eve

    Cross River State workers yesterday  evening received alerts of payment of their salaries for this month.

    The payment, which was made on the eve of this year’s May Day celebrations, is coming a day earlier than last year’s when Governor Ben Ayade ordered payment of May salary on the first day of May.

    Ayade has made salary payment one of his administration’s cardinal objectives with workers getting paid early every month.

    The payment of salaries for  May is coming barely a week after the payment of May salaries.

    During the celebration of Workers’ Day last year, the ceremony became frenzied as shouts of “alerts” rent the air once workers began to receive bank alerts regarding the payment of their salary for the month which was just beginning.

  • APC, governors, others greet workers on May Day celebration

    APC, governors, others greet workers on May Day celebration

    Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) and Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha yesterday celebrated with workers on the occasion of May Day celebration.

    Others, who also greeted workers, are: Chairman of the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, former Abia State Governor Dr. Orji Kalu, a civil rights group, United Action for Democracy (UAD)and telecommunications firm Globacom.

    Saraki described workers as the life-blood and driving force of the nation’s growth in view of their invaluable contributions.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, Saraki lauded the resilience and commitment of workers in both the formal and informal sector, describing their contribution to the nation and the economy as priceless.

    “As we mark this year’s Workers’ Day, all Nigerian workers should be proud that their significant contributions keep this nation moving forward – as they are the lifeblood of our country, an integral part of the fabric that makes up our society,” he said.

    APC National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, in a statement, thanked the workers for their strong support in the task to build a new Nigeria and bring about the change much desired by the citizenry.

    He said: “Without doubts, the economic recession has had a telling effect on the livelihoods of many working families and businesses in the country.

    “We are, however, happy to note that the country’s economy is gradually coming out of recession and the APC assures Nigerians that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari will continue to work hard to improve the livelihood of every citizen.”

    The party, therefore, called on workers to continue to support government’s effort to better the lives of the citizenry and return the country to its deserved heights.

    Akeredolu hailed the resilience of workers in the state.

    He described their determination and undying spirit in the face of the tough economic challenges in the country as commendable.

    Akeredolu, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary Segun Ajiboye to mark the Workers Day said he values the civil servants’ unflinching support for his administration.

    He urged them to continue to give their best towards the progress and growth of the state.

    Okorocha commended the workers for “their perseverance and immense contributions to the development of the nation.

    The  governor, who is also chairman, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum, hailed the state leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) headed by Comrade Austin Chilakpu for the “understanding and harmonious relationship between the workers and the Rescue Mission Government in the state”.

    Okorocha noted that “although there had been few cases the leadership of NLC and the state government had disagreed over certain labour-related issues, but the truth remains that, at the end of the day, such issues had ended up being amicably resolved. And this lofty trend must continue to be the order of the day”.

    Ndoma-Egba lauded workers’ patriotic sacrifices and unbroken faith in Nigeria, even in the face of tough times.

    In a statement to commemorate Workers’ Day, the NDDC chairman said “undoubtedly, workers the world over are the greatest assets of every nation because, the human capital is the bedrock upon which development revolves and thrives”.

    Kalu lauded the workers for their contributions to national development, adding that their steadfastness and patriotism were remarkable.

    According to the ex-governor, Nigeria is blessed with abundant human and natural resources and as such, the country must take its rightful place in the comity of nations.

    Kalu, who is also founder/Chairman of Slok Group, made these remarks while feasting with management staff of his business conglomerate at his Abuja residence yesterday in commemoration of this year’s International Labour Day

    The business mogul urged government at all levels to improve the welfare of workers as a way of motivating them to be more productive in the discharge of their duties and responsibilities, stressing that the role of workers in nation building cannot be undermined.

    UAD called on the labour centres to unite and fight for improved working conditions for Nigerian workers.

    The group advised the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and United Labour Congress (ULC) to form a joint action committee (JAC) to mobilise Nigerian workers, students and youths to push for a new minimum wage.

    At a conference addressed by the Convener, Mr. Gabriel Ojumah, UAD called on JAC to declare a 48-hour strike to back up demand for unpaid salaries, decent and full time jobs, decent and affordable housing for all and proper funding of the education and healthcare sectors.

    Globacom congratulated the workers, encouraging them to continue to reinforce the virtues of hard work and excellence in their duties.

    In a statement issued in Lagos, Globacom hailed the resilient spirit of workers despite of daunting challenges and urged them to continue to uphold the dignity of labour, adding that they remain the bedrock of the nation’s economic growth.

  • Worker’s Day: Buhari committed to workers’ welfare, says Ngige

    Worker’s Day: Buhari committed to workers’ welfare, says Ngige

    President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to enhancing the welfare of workers, Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has stated.
    He saluted the resilience of workers and hope for a better future in the face of the current economic challenges.
    The minister said the president was doing everything humanly possible to improve the welfare of workers with several programmes in place to actualise that.
    In his 2017 May Day message, Ngige felicitated with the workers over the celebration.
    In a statement by Deputy Director, Press in the Ministry, Samuel Olowookere, the Minister said: “The federal government is not unaware of the economic challenges facing Nigerian workers in the public, the private and informal sector of the economy.
    “Mr. President is committed to the enhancement of workers’ welfare, through programmes like the Federal Integrated Staff Housing Scheme (FISH), creation of enabling environment to stimulate the economy with the aim of improving the social-economic wellbeing of Nigeria in all sectors of the economy.”
    He solicited continued support of the workers to the change agenda, especially in the fight against corruption.

  • May Day stunt

    May Day was a day of drama in some states.  Consider what happened in Cross River State where Governor Ben Ayade reportedly “stunned workers when he announced the payment of salaries for the month of May on the first day of the month”.

    To state the obvious, workers are salary addicts and positive salary news is always good news to them. So what followed the governor’s good news about the May salaries was perhaps predictable.

    This is how a report captured the workers’ response: “A mild drama immediately ensued when the workers who were at the U.J. Esuene Stadium for the May Day celebration began to receive salary payment alert from their various banks. Unable to contain their excitement, the workers shouted ”alert, alert”.

    As background information, so that the context and extent of their excitement may be better appreciated, the report added: “Before now, the governor had paid salaries between the 13th and 20th day of each month.”

    The workers wasted no time in creating an award and awarding it to the governor. Guess what the workers called the governor? The report said:  ”Ayade told the workers, who named him the “Best Labour Friendly Governor in Nigeria”, that his administration had a duty to give workers a sense of dignity.”

    Wow! Is that all it takes to be named “Best Labour Friendly Governor in Nigeria”? Should that be all it takes? It is thought-provoking that the workers did not seem to think that the unusual salary payment had the features of a political calculation by a political calculator.

    Wasn’t it clear that this was a May Day stunt? When will the salaries be paid in the following months, considering when they were paid in the preceding months?

    Feeling good about himself, the “labour friendly” idol was quoted as saying: “We must create opportunities for labour to feel a sense of dignity. If you are truly a Christian, you must know that as you care for your kids, you must care for labour.”

    It is laughable that the governor introduced faith and parental care into a matter that was about the social responsibility of power. His language betrayed not only his self-righteousness, but also his ridiculous perception of labour.

  • Don’t lose faith in Nigeria, Atiku tells workers

    Don’t lose faith in Nigeria, Atiku tells workers

    Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has urged Nigerian workers not to lose faith in the ability of the nation under the leadership of President Buhari to surmount these odds.
    In his May Day message to Nigerian workers, the former Vice President also proposed a fairer deal for workers in order to reduce the frequency of strikes in the country, which he regrets takes a heavy toll on the economy.
    He said that notwithstanding the huge challenges the country and its people are facing, it will take the support of everyone working in tandem with the Buhari administration to lift the economy out of the doldrums.
    “President Buhari alone cannot turnaround the fortunes of the country. It requires everyone – elected and appointed officials, the legislature and the judiciary, the public and private sectors and ordinary Nigerians – working together in faith and commitment to bring about the desired change”, he said
    The APC chieftain argued that President Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade when combined with curbing wastages and profligacy will free much-needed resources to jumpstart the economy by investing in infrastructure and high jobs yielding sectors especially agriculture as proposed by the government.
    He reminded the workers that the envisaged better deal for them is intrinsically tied to increased productivity.
    “With dwindling revenue from oil, it has become imperative for us to bake a bigger cake that will be big enough for all partakers. To achieve this, we need to be more creative as a government and more productive as a people.”
    He maintained that observed that improved conditions of service for workers would help to reduce corruption and fraud among employees, pointing out that it is impossible to convince workers to make sacrifices while the public office holders live a life that is inconsistent with the economic realities of Nigeria.
    “We all need to make sacrifices in line with the realities of the time. It is not enough to ask workers to make sacrifices while public office holders are ostensibly immune from it. Such a situation promotes industrial disharmony,” he said.

  • Group gives Okorocha ultimatum to pay Imo workers

    Group gives Okorocha ultimatum to pay Imo workers

    Ndigbo Unity Forum, an Igbo socio-cultural group, has given Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo an ultimatum of 60 days to pay workers outstanding salaries and allowances.
    This is contained in a statement signed by the President of the forum, Mr Augustine Chukwudum, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Sunday.
    It described as unfortunate that after receiving bailout funds from the Federal Government, which the governors and their cabinet agreed was enough to settle workers, would divert such money.
    The statement said such action was the height of insensitivity in a democratic setting that holds a lot of good promises for the people.
    “On South East, we observed that the Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo state notwithstanding bailout funds that runs into billions that he received from the Federal Government that he still owes workers in the state many months salary.
    “We demand that Gov. Rochas Okorocha should pay workers in Imo state their salary within sixty days,’’ it said.
    The statement warned that coalition of civil societies would soon mobilise for the mother of all demonstration in Imo, if the governor failed to heed to the advice.

  • May Day! May Day! Our DISCOs have not come to take us to the disco!

    Every worker has a right to return to his house, after a hard day’s work, and have access to electricity without having to go up and down in search of petrol to put in generators they have to fiddle with in order to have a few hours of electricity.

    I have always seen May Day, the day set aside for celebrating labour matters, as a day for serious reflections on how to negotiate to eliminate work and keep the pay. I tell you, the day this is achieved will be remarkable indeed. But I despair of that ever happening, when I remember that work has this nasty habit of never doing itself. For instance, has anyone been able to figure out how to get food into the mouth without belabouring the hand? I thought not.

    In spite of the seriousness of the May Day mission, it has managed to attract its own body of jokes to it. I think the jokes are to help us to swallow the bitter truth that the likelihood of work ever being eliminated, so that the worker can be free indeed, is very slim.

    ‘May Day! May Day! I am in a plane and the pilot just died. What should I do?’, radioed a lady to Ground Control. ‘Don’t panic, Madam, we’ll talk you down. What is your height and position?’ replied Ground Control. ‘I’m 5’2’’ and I’m sitting in front,’ replied the lady. That is just one of the many May Day jokes flying around. I’m sure you’ve heard it.

    Truly though, these days, you have a hard task distinguishing between the May Day set aside for celebrating the hardship that we workers endure to build the state and the ‘May Day!’ cry for help by damsels-in-distress in small planes. The same way, these days I can hardly distinguish between the ’70s discos I used to sneak to at night when I was young (never mind how far back or near that is) and the DISCOs that are now in charge of distributing electricity to the country. And, man, I need that distinction.

    To start with, discos are very interesting, the dance arenas that is, not the electricity companies. The thought of an approaching disco often lifted our sagging shoulders, made our steps more nimble and had us looking forward to sweating out life’s unanswerable questions on the dance floor. In short, on the disco floor, life assumed meaning.

    These other DISCOs are simply life-sapping, the electricity companies that is, not the dance arenas. They have done nothing about the darkness they inherited from NEPA. There is a photograph going around of a group of doctors and nurses contributing light from their phones to do surgery. Our DISCOs have increased the darkness, and are making me pay through the nose for this privilege. Imagine, the last bill brought to my house read N25,000.00! What for, I ask; the few bulbs I use? For days now, I have been going around mumbling ‘N25, 000.00 bill!’ to anyone who cares to listen. What kind of madness is this???!!!

    Yet, when these DISCOs took over the duties of old, ailing and beleaguered NEPA, everyone thought deliverance had come for the masses from lengthy hours of darkness and torment. Indeed, everyone had the romantic notion that just as the country was rescued from the grasping hands of NITEL with the privatisation that brought in the GSM, the DISCOs would dispel the country’s darkness.

    Not so; as things are proving. It seems that our DISCOs have come to entrench darkness. To start with, my house does not have electricity ten evenings out of seven. (Please don’t tell me I cannot count; this is serious business. It is no time to give me a test in primary school mathematics.) This means I get electricity a few hours during the day, when I am not at home, and when my gadgets and implements are completely at their mercy to wreck and to ruin. It also means my evenings are spent listening to noisy and fume-spewing generators from all around.

    The other day, I came home to find many of my gadgets and implements frothing heat at the mouth. Again please, this is no time to split hairs. They had been burnt to cinders by an unusually high current that turned out to have been caused by electricity wires twisted by high wind. The result is a blown transformer, which has left me holding my implements, and staring at lots and lots of darkness.

           I am not alone, people tell me. In my vicinity alone, there are people whose transformers conked out earlier, making them sit in darkness. Welcome to the queue, they tell me as I sit by them, to wait for our transformer to be replaced. My number is in the double digit of waiters. Someone said his area had been sitting in the dark since the first day of this year; another mentioned a date that sounded suspiciously close to Noah’s era. I don’t want to sit that long on this queue; I am too busy for that.

    From the reports I have gathered on the matter, it seems to me that these DISCOs have been operating like our politicians – making like pirates on the land, plundering at will and taking no quarters! I have heard that they have no plans to purchase transformers to replace ailing ones. They are only interested in collecting money from everybody, and even from their partner, the federal government. That is what I heard. I don’t know how true these reports are but what I observe are communities waiting for transformers while these mammoth-sized, hefty bills keep coming to them even though the last I heard was that the DISCOs had no right to increase bills without first seeing to increase in services. Well, good news: there are no services and we are paying!

    So, clearly, our DISCOs have not come to take us to the discos. No sir, they have come to take us to the cleaners, to shave our heads, and put us all in sackcloth. By the time they are through with us, I predict that even the sackcloth will look too good for us. To me these DISCOs are giving good ol’ disco a bad name.

    However, we can take ’em DISCOs to task. The Labour Day theme for this year is Celebrating the International Labour Movement. I not only celebrate the movement, I salute it for all the things it has achieved on behalf of us the hapless ones. But for them, many among us would just keep working like Boxer in Animal Farm, thinking always ‘we must do better’ until it is time to be taken to the knackers. So, I really salute them.

    This is why I would like the Nigerian Labour Unions to put a lot of thought to their demands. For instance, I hear that the unions are going to push for a N56, 000.00 minimum wage and I am thinking that much of it will be spent on buying generators and fuels to put in them. So, someone else is getting richer. I think that the unions should emphasise that our service providers must work. I think every worker has a right to return to his house, after a hard day’s work, and have access to electricity without having to go up and down in search of petrol to put in generators they have to fiddle with in order to have a few hours of electricity.

    As of now, I have not gained from the DISCOs. I have not got from them the kind of relief that GSM brought to Nigeria. Only the DISCOs are gaining from this transaction; and they are getting lots and lots of money for no services. Nevertheless, I am starting my own Bring Back My Transformer movement (#BBMT – Day 1). Feel free to join me.

  • 2015 May Day: Be part of solution to Nigeria’s challenges, Fashola charges labour

    2015 May Day: Be part of solution to Nigeria’s challenges, Fashola charges labour

    LAGOS State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has challenged the organised labour to make sacrifices and be part of the solution to the challenges confronting the country.

    The governor, who spoke at the Onikan Stadium, Lagos before a gathering of labour union members and their leaders, in commemoration of Workers’ Day, added that the organised labour must also choose negotiation and dialogue to resolve industrial disputes over strikes and lockouts.

    He stated that he recently directed a low scale study to be carried out on strikes between the year 2007 and 2014 and the results showed that almost 30 different strikes took place within that period with about 1,279 days lost to the action.

    “Let me explain what that can mean if it took place in Lagos alone. This state generates an approximate N20billion every month. So, everyday, it is about N600million. If you do it in Lagos, it would amount to N852 billion. Imagine what that would have done in your lives,” he stressed.

    He added that while embarking on strike is not wrong in its entirety, he believes that everything is wrong with deploying the wrong solution to a problem. “What we need most is to deliver power, to revive our economy, to create jobs. Strikes will not revive the Nigerian economy,” he said.

    He emphasised that the welfare of workers must be bigger than the political ambition of members or its leaders, adding that because the new governments at the state and federal levels need a united labour force to make them deliver on their mandate.

    Fashola said since the organised labour has now voted for change in government at the centre, their attitude and strategy must also change and that it is only through this that everyone can experience change in their lives.

    He added that one of the things that should be considered for change is the way the May Day is celebrated every year, saying despite the holding of yearly rallies, no national communiqué has been produced from the yearly rallies.

    He suggested that instead of standing in the sun for rallies, the funds expended for buying caps and T-shirts can be used to rent a hall where a one-day workshop would hold on how to solve one of the major problems in Nigeria whether it is housing, power or education among others.

    “Let us change the strategy and everybody here can still be there by representatives of your unions; let us have experts come and sit down with us, share experience with us and then communicate a final solution. That, for me, is one thing that I think should change. I am also guilty that I thought of this only this late, but it is never too late to learn,” he said.

    The governor reiterated that labour must stop fighting, because, according to him, it is part of the structure and must be a part of making that structure work, since all strikes have eventually ended on the negotiation table, adding that there should be no limit to the time that can be spent to negotiate.

    He reiterated that the challenges facing labour in Nigeria are no different from those encountered by labour organisations in other parts of the world where every worker wants a better deal, better working hours, better welfare, better wages and working environment, adding that what differs from place to place is the progress that has been made in one place and the distance that needs to be travelled in other places.

  • Oshiomhole to workers: Expect better life under Buhari

    Oshiomhole to workers: Expect better life under Buhari

    … Workers hold parallel rallies

    Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has assured workers in the state that better life awaits them during the in-coming administration of Gen. Mohammadu Buhari.

    Oshiomhole said the administration of Buhari would improve the economic fortune of states and local governments through reduction in oil theft and fight against corruption.

    The Governor said the fight against oil theft and corruption would translate to better life for workers and Nigerians in general.

    He spoke at the Edo State May Day rally held at the Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City.

    Oshiomhole, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Pius Odubu, praised the workers for realizing their long desire for change at the national level.

    He said his administration has been paying salaries as at when due despite dwindling resources from the Federal Government.

    Some unions such as the Judiciary Workers Union of Nigeria and the National Union of Local Government Employees wore black to the rally to lament delay in the payment of their salaries.

    However, leadership crisis rocking the NLC deepened in Edo as another faction loyal to Joe Ajaero held a parallel May Day rally at the NTA Pavillion ground.

    The Ajaero NLC faction’s rally was attended by eight affiliates unions in Edo.

    The Chairman of the Ajaero faction in Edo, Comrade Eddy Ossai, said more unions would soon join the faction.

    He said Oshiomhole has taught them how to exist in the face of stiff opposition.

     

  • May Day: Amosun lauds workers, promises over 100,000 jobs

    May Day: Amosun lauds workers, promises over 100,000 jobs

    Governor Ibikunle Amosun on Friday said his planned inter and intra – city light rail project would create over 100,000 direct and indirect jobs for the people of Ogun State when construction begins.

    Amosun said the railway project which is expected to course through Abeokuta – Sagamu – Lagos, Ilaro, Agbara Industrial Estate and Idiroko among other places would create additional one millions jobs upon completion.

    The state government had last Monday signed an agreement with the Chinese Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) for the construction of light railway project in the state.

    The Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Adeoluwa Taiwo, signed the contract documents on behalf of Ogun State, while the Chairman of CCECC, Mr. Cao BaoGang, signed for the construction firm.

    Amosun and his Works Commissioner, Arc. Lekan Adepite witnessed the signing of the contract documents in a ceremony attended by the Chinese Consul-General in Nigeria, Lin Kan.

    The cost of the project is estimated at $3.2 billion, while the construction work would take at least three years to complete.

    Amosun, who spoke to reporters shortly after the May Day celebration at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta, described the workers as “integral part of the state.”

    He noted that the rail project would be beneficial to the state workforce in terms of movement, adding that furniture and chair makers would also benefit from the project.