The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)

  • Oyo Workers suspend strike

    The National Secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has ordered the suspension of seven weeks indefinite strike over the non-payment of workers’ salary and allowances in the state.

    It will be recalled that the state government based on the agreement with the national leaders of the union, set up a 14 man committee two weeks ago from both the government and labour sides to deliberate on how to resolve the industrial impasse.

    The strike was called off after a joint Memorandum of Understanding signed by the 14 man committee which includes: the Secretary to the State Government, Ishmael Alli, Chairman of NLC in the State, Waheed Olojede, Head of Service, Soji Eniade, and Commissioner for Finance, Abimbola Adekanmbi.

    The National Vice-President of NLC (Southwest), Comrade Solomon Adelegan declared the strike off late on Monday, as the Chairman of NLC in the state, Comrade Waheed Olojede confirmed the suspension of the strike saying it was based on the agreement among the parties.

    He disclosed that the leadership of the union agreed to suspend the strike based on the fact that the state government has decided to pay two months salary arrears of workers, plead with the banks to exclude workers who are owing them from deduction of their debt from the two months salary to be paid as well as the release outstanding promotion letters to workers.

    Olojede said both parties have agreed to continue with the negotiation on all the outstanding issue, adding that the suspension of the strike was considered in the interest of members of the union.

    Also confirming the suspension, the Secretary of the union in the state, Kofo Ogundeji said the national leaders of the congress have ordered the suspension of the strike based on the above agreement.

    The MOU reads in part:” That the total amount received from the federal Account for the month of June, 2016 was N2.1 billion and that an additional sum of N1.39 billion, being the first tranche of the budget support facility, was equally received from the Federal Government, bring the total available sum to N3.495 billion in the government coffers that could immediately be utilized for payment of salary, wages and pensions of the state workforce.

    “That the total sum of N3.495 billion, which is readily available will be immediately disbursed to honour the State’s obligations on salaries, wages and pensions for the month of January 2016. That an appeal be made by the State Government to banks to grant concerned workers a moratorium of two months on their January and February 2016 salaries and pensions on their debt service obligation.

    “That a a letter of apology be tendered to government by principals, teachers and pupils of schools engaged in the breach of the peace and destruction of government properties. That the government withdraws all outstanding litigation against labour. That no worker would be victimised as a result of participation in the industrial action. That the industrial action be suspended forthwith.”

    Similarly, the Chairman of the government/labour committee, Ishmael Alli, while briefing journalist on Tuesday accompanied of the Head of Service, Soji Eniade and Commissioner for Information, Toye Arulogun, Alli said deliberation will still continue among the members of the committee to forestall a future reocurrence of industrial impasse.

    He promised that the state government would pay the workers two months salary within the next two weeks.

    “The state government appreciates the citizens of the state for their support during the strike action. We urged you to continue to support the Abiola Ajimobi led administration which strives to elevate the standards, promote ethical values and good governance in the state” he said.

    Since the strike commenced, most of the workers have continued to decry their living conditions based on the non-payment of their salaries.

    However, most members of the workers in the state are unaware of the suspension and they have kicked against collecting two months’ salary out of the seven months the government owes them.

    They stated that their leaders should address them at the same place where the strike was declared, stressing that it was wrong for the seven months old strike to be suspended on the media.

  • NLC to Buhari: Investigate mismanagement of bailout fund

    NLC to Buhari: Investigate mismanagement of bailout fund

    Organised labour Wednesday accused state governors of mismanaging the bailout fund from the Federal government and asked President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately constitute a high powered committee to investigate the mismanagement of the fund by state governors.

    President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba who made the call while addressing the striking members of the Congress in Lokoja said it was the bailout fund was a loan to the states which must be laid back, adding that if not properly utilized, future generations of the state will be made to bear the brunt.

    Wabba also frown at the action of officers and men of the Kogi state command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp for attempting to disperse the workers who were gathered at the Secretariat of the Medical and Health Workers Union, threatening that picket the headquarters of the NSCDC in Abuja if its men repeat such action in future.

    Wabba commended the doggedness of the workers who accused the state governor, Yahaya Bello of employing divide and rule tactics in dealing with the workers and gave the governor four weeks within which to address the grievances of the workers or engage them in constructive dialogue.

    He said: “I want to use this medium to call on the President to investigate the issue of bailout mismanagement. This is an administration that believes in the rule of law and we are also fighting corruption.

    “Therefore, Mr President must gather the will and courage to ensure that no arm of government under his watch will be allowed to undergo this process especially the mismanagement of bailout fund. ICPC has come up with a report which clearly stated that many states have misappropriated the bailout. The purpose for which it was intended has been jeopardised.

    “Therefore, we call on the federal government to institute a very high power committee to investigate the utilisation of the bailout fund because the bailout is a loan. If it is wrongly applied, it also means that in years to come, those states will also be in a difficult predicament. This is what we are calling Mr. President to do.”

    The NLC President told the workers that “the price for liberty is internal vigilance. We have heard your predicament. But we thought we cannot have the comfort of sitting in Abuja without coming to see you and confirm the information we heard and chat the way forward. If it means bringing the entire workforce in Nigeria to Kogi like we did in Imo.
    “No strength on earth is stronger than the combine strength of all of us. They can bring all the forces on earth, the combine strength of all of us will match them. So, let me say that is this issue is not addressed within the next four weeks, the entire working people of Nigeria will match on Kogi.

    “We have six million members of NLC. I assure you that two million will be here. If they think because you are few in number, they can intimidate and divide you, we can declare a national action on the issue of Kogi.

    “It is the height of ungodliness for anybody to work for seven months and is not paid. Even God almighty says before your sweat dry on your body, you must be paid. I am aware that most of you are fasting because you have not been paid and because God answer the prayers of the desperate, I want you to raise your hand and ask God for whatever you want.

    “It will amount to cruelty for any worker to work for seven months and is not paid. It will amount to cruelty for a pensioner to put into service the better part of his life in service and not paid. It will amount to cruelty to pass false information just to incriminate people.

    “Let us not forget that the reason why we are in this predicament is because our leaders have not been very responsible. Leaders are appointed by God and so, they should know that they will account to God. You accumulate whatever you want to accumulate, but one day you must account to God. That is why this particular issue deserves our attention.

    “We will continue to engage the process. Before we came, we were told that process of discussion has commenced and that there is no reason for us to come, but we insisted that having made the commitment to be here, we need to see the workers and hear from them and assure them that in unity, we shall overcome this.

    “What Nigeria workers are passing through is a predicament that we have not seen before. We have never imagined that people will work for seven months and not paid.

    “When the bail out of Kogi was withheld, NLC intervened and wrote a formal letter to government and appealed that the bailout of Kogi be released and the money was released. How then that the bailout has been recieved and not utilised? That is a sad commentary. In many states, when they collected the bailout, they put a committee in place and the money transparently utilised. Why is the case of Kogi different?

    “Don’t be intimidated, don’t be discouraged because there is no situation that can discourage all of us because in unity lies our strength. They will use all tactics. If it is the burden of one worker today, tomorrow it will be another worker.

    “Even if you are paid through the process of divide and rule, you should remember that in unity lies our strength. I want to assure you that this is a struggle we are committed to and we will be ready to bring the entire workers of Nigeria here.

    “We will put all of them on notice including the governor and the President because this is the worst case situation I have seen in Nigeria. There is no state where the governor has forced all the workers to open their account in two banks. It is against your fundamental human right because you have a right to open an account where ever you want and with BVN, it is easy to access.

    “So, forcing workers to use two banks is an act of cruelty and an act of corruption because workers have a right to open account in any bank they want for employers to pay their salaries. It is also against our laws because the law envisage that a person must have personal freedom, personal liberty to choose.

    “Therefore this act of cruelty of forcing workers to go to only two banks is also serving the interest of some of them. This is condemnable. No state in Nigeria has done this and so, this should be condemned. Before now, we have not written on any specific case to the President.

    “But a personal letter will be written to the President on the case in Kogi because it is quite different from other states. We will put him on notice because we will come back here to make sure that no worker is threat in a manner that is against our laws. No worker should be treated as a slave in our country.

    “It is really unfortunate because under democracy, people must respect the rule of law and do what is right because democracy is for the people. Workers should not been seen as liability because we are not a liability. How can a health worker, teacher be seen as a liability?

    “We provide services and ought to be paid. I was told that the 27.5 percent enjoyed by teachers have been removed, leave grand denied, while regular payment of pension has become a mirage. We cannot hide under any pretense to perpetuate evil against workers on the excuse that the economy is bad.

    “Most of the states paying salaries constantly today receive the least allocation. It is not a product of the revenue, but the will as well as your priorities. Here we have a state that has not paid salaries in spite of the allocation and the bailout received.

    “Even Borno that has been under insurgency for about eight years is paying salaries. So, there is no reason for anybody not to pay salaries. Even if you cannot pay, what is the difficulty in engaging the unions? Why must you bring divide and rule and not allow the union work with you to arrive at a solution.

    We are a people destined by God to protect one another. Even though we dont carry arms, what will come out of our mouth is more than arms”.
    The state NLC chairman, Comrade Onuh Edoka said he was declared a ghost worker by the state government alongside 70 percent of workers who are still living and working, while the government has employed divide and rule policy in dealing with the workers.

    He said workers in the state are owed salaries ranging from three to, seven month, adding that the screening exercise conducted by the state government which had the blessing of organised labour in the stage was bungled by the same government because it discovered that those cleared workers were more than what it wanted.

    The Nation however observed that the planned match to the government house had to be aborted and rescheduled because of the inability of the state chapters of the NLC and TUC to mobilize enough members apparently due to intimidation from security forces.

    A patrol team me heavily armed military men in six truck constantly patrolled the city installing fear in the mind of the workers while efforts were made to prevent the NLC President and his team from entering Lokoja take address the workers.

  • Be patient with Buhari, Atiku tells Nigerians

    Be patient with Buhari, Atiku tells Nigerians

    Former Vice President and Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar has appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the President Muhammadu Buhari led government, assuring that their support for the government will soon start yielding dividends.

    In his Sallah message to Nigerian Muslims, the former Vice President asked Muslims to portray Islam positively through the spirit of tolerance and commitment to peaceful coexistence in their everyday conducts.

    He said the lessons of this Holy month should be taken beyond the celebration, adding that self-discipline and love for fellow human beings is one of the important virtues of the Ramadan fasting period, and that these virtues should not “desert our hearts because the event has come to an end.”

    He explain that abstention from eating and drinking “is an important reminder to the Muslim faithful that there are millions of others who go without food daily on account of their poverty.”

    While asking the Muslims ummah in particular and Nigerians in General to continue to show patience with the Muhammadu Buhari administration, which he says is aware of hardships they were passing through, Atiku assured that their support for the government would ultimately yield dividends.

    He said the President should be commended for the courageous measures he has taken to ensure public funds meant for the welfare of the people and development of the country are not stolen and diverted to private pockets of individuals.

    He assures Nigerians that their patience will yield dividends, adding that “every change comes with initial challenges, pains and sacrifices for a better tomorrow.”

    Also, the Nigeria Labour congress (NLC) said Nigerians should consider the Eid-el-Fitr celebration as a clarion call to higher service to this great nation in other to make the nation work again.

    In his Sallah Message, President of the Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said the Ramadan fast hitch nine of the obligations of Islam availed Muslim faithful a great opportunity of self-discipline, humility, sharing, piety, scholarship, and strengthening of one’s relationship with Allah.

    He said: “The celebration of Eid-el-Fitr therefore represents obedience to Allah, renewal of faith, service, and the imbibing of higher moral values. The importance of Eid-el-Fitr therefore should not be lost on us. More than ever before, these lessons are relevant in our personal and public lives if we are to make progress as a nation.

    “I therefore urge all Nigerians, Muslims and non- Muslims alike to use the celebration of Eid-el-Fitr to reflect on the state of the nation with a view to confronting the numerous challenges that beset us.

    “I have no doubt that with discipline, piety, humility, scholarship, good neighbourliness or a sense of consideration for others and renewal of our faith in God, that we shall prevail.

    “Eid-el-Fitr avails us an opportunity to deepen our faith in our country and our belief in ourselves to fight the vices that divide us as well as stifle national development such as corruption, social injustices, inequities, discrimination, politics of exclusion and other vices just as it avails us an opportunity to experience the pains and pangs of hunger of the poor, the deprived and the excluded.

    “In light of the above, I urge all of us Nigerians to consider this Eid-el-Fitr as a clarion call to higher service to this great nation so we could have electricity, potable water, shelter, jobs, security, good roads, rail, a strong economy, and above all, a sense of belonging. Let us make Nigeria work again”.

  • Labour leaders betrayed us, say ekiti workers

    Labour leaders betrayed us, say ekiti workers

    …NLC Chair: it’s not true

    Workers in Ekiti State have accused labour leaders of betraying them by agreeing to a one month pay out of the six months owed them by the state government.

    They described the failure of the union leaders’ decision to convince the government to pay at least three months as a “coup against the long-suffering workers who had endured misery, hunger and hardship in the last six months.”

    According to a bulletin released on Tuesday by the Enlightened Workers’ Forum (EWF), an interest group signed by the Coordinator, Mike Bamidele, the workers claimed that they have evidence that the labour leaders received N10 million bribe to end the strike.

    The group faulted the decision of the labour leaders to suspend the strike and agreed to monthly payment of N10 million to pensioners which it described as grossly inadequate doubting the government’s capacity to access another bailout funds owing to the stringent conditions attached.

    Bamidele said it was a mark of failure for the leaders of the state councils of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) to hurriedly suspend the strike after being promised only one month pay by the government.

    He described as very “irresponsible” the directive issued to workers by one of the labour chiefs to resume work and await the payment of one month salary seven days after suspending the strike.

    The EWF boss revealed that the untold story of the whole saga was that “the labour leaders only succeeded in negotiating their own welfare as we have evidence that six of them collected N10 million which eventually led to the sell-out which is already causing ripples among other leaders who were left out.”

    Bamidele said: “One wonders what gave Labour the impression that the Federal Government would again be willing to release another bailout to Fayose when the first one had not been accounted for.

    “This is a mark of failure on the part of the Organized Labour and we in the EWF are not surprised about the development as we had anticipated this failure right from the onset.

    “Against this background, therefore, it will be wrong and illegal for any Labour to attempt to coerce the workers back to work through the back doors without achieving anything. Negotiating one month salary on their behalf after about five weeks strike is not only anti-worker but also criminal.”

    While denying the allegation, the state NLC Chairman, Ade Adesanmi, denied the workers’ allegation challenging anyone with evidences of bribery against them to come out with same.

    Adesanmi: “I didn’t sign the pact with government culminating in this resumption because I compromised, I signed because of the fear that this allocation may be spent without the payment of worker salaries.

    “The same workers we were fighting for were coming to work during the strike to assist government in spending monies that could have been kept and added to the current allocation to pay workers. This is highest level of wickedness and prosperity will judge all of us.”

     

  • Oyo Workers protest govt planned privatisation of public schools

    Business and vehicular activities were on Wednesday paralyzed in Ibadan, Oyo State capital as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), protested planned privatisation of some public schools in the state and non-payment of over six months’ salary.

    The NLC in the state had embarked on an indefinite strike barely eight days ago to demand the immediate withdrawal of all trump-up charges leveled against some incarcerated labour leaders and to rescind its decision to sell-off any public schools in the state, among others.

    The angry workers who started converging at the NLC secretariat at Yidi, Agodi-Gate as early as 7:30am, departed for the streets of the ancient city around 10:05am amidst heavy security operatives who guided them to forestall violence.

    The workers numbering over 5,000 created traffic gridlock from Yidi area, Agodi Bus-stop, Oje market, Beere and Mapo. Besides, the transport system was prevented from functioning forcing passengers and motorist to trek to their destinations.

    The protesters were led by the Deputy President of the union, Comrade Kiri Mohammed Shuaibu , Comrade Peter Adeyemi and the Chairman of NLC in the state, Comrade  Waheed Olojede.

    The protesters carried placard with inscriptions such as “Workers say no to privatisation of schools, Ajimobi is a liar, Pay our six months outstanding salaries, we condemn selling of public schools, among others.

    ‎In his remarks, Deputy National President of NLC, Comrade Peter Adeniyi Adeyemi has said  the main reason why the union is  protesting was to further drive home their demand for the immediate payment of six  months outstanding salaries  of  workers in Oyo State.

    “The truth is that even when workers are paid they are still trying to survive with the peanut the government is paying them not to talk of government not paying at all. The value of the salary they want to pay them has reduced. Even the government said there is no plan of devaluing the naira but we know that our currency has been devalued.

    “We have not seen where the employers have been made banks, so the process of keeping the money of the employees is strange to us and it’s a new dimension. So if the government does not pay us our salaries at the right time they ought to do then they have to pay us an interest for holding our salaries.”

    Similarly, the Chairman of NLC in Oyo State, Comrade Waheed Olojede said all workers in the state has been waiting to organise a mega rally to further protest the obnoxious policy of government that appears to them  as anti-social an anti-workers.

    “One of it is the unpaid arrears of salaries. Between the government and the workers there is a social contract, contract of provision of service and payment of salaries. For the past six months failed to perform their responsibility, this is why we are going on the streets to tell the state government that as a matter of urgency we want our salary arrears to be paid, in the same vein we want our pensioners whose pension have accrued with the gratuties. The entire workers of Oyo State also says no to privatisation, commercialisation of education in the state.” Olojede said

    He said the union will remain undaunted and will continue to forge ahead until sanity prevails between the workers and government in the state.

    Also the Secretary of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Akin James explained that their peaceful solidarity walk to the governor on Tuesday was not to condemn the labour union, but noted that the union would not allow violence and brigandage to be re-introduced into the state under whatever guise by any individual or group.

    According to him, the era of impunity in the work environment is over, but “this is the time that workers are ready to demand for their right”.

    He noted that they are not violence but are only demanding for their right.

    According to James, we are also part NLC because we are a union, and for the fact that anything that is violence is attributed to the NURTW members.

    “No more violence in this state and we are under the umbrella of NLC and we shall continue to support their struggle,” he said.

    He refuted claims that members of the union have been hired to disrupt the NLC protest, vowing that nobody will disrupt the peaceful protest of the workers,” he said.

    Meanwhile, as at the time of filling this report, the labour leaders who were accompanied by the Speaker of the state house of assembly, Hon Michael Adeyemo arrived at t‎he governor’s office around 3:15 for a meeting with Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

     

  • Sack of bank staff: Labour, NECA disagrees on unionisation

    Organised Labour made up of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) are heading for a coalition course with employers of labour over the recent mass sack of workers in the banking sector and non-unionisation of workers by some banks.

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige had asked the banks to put on hold the mass sack of workers, threatening that the government “know what to do” to any of the banks that fail to comply with the directive, while asking the unions not to picket the banks.

    President to the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and his TUC counterpart, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama told newsmen at a news conference in Geneva that they were ready to engage the banks frontally and do everything within their power to protect the interest of workers in the banks.

    They accuse the banks of undermining the principle of collective bargaining agreement which require employers to engage the unions before taking decisions to lay off workers.

    But Director General of the Nigeria Employers Consultative Assembly, Segun Oshinowo said the union leaders were being economical with the truth and challenge them to come out with evidence of any bank denying their workers the right to unionise, and faulted the position of government for the banks not to sack workers.

    President of the Trade Union Congress, Bobboi Kaigama said organised labour was ready to prove to the bank that has sacked their members that they don’t have a monopoly of disobeying collective bargaining agreement and the laws of the land.

    He said: Just like the employer has the right to hire and fire, they should also know that they must play by the rules. The rules are very clear and in every industry, there is a collective bargaining procedure in place where issues like that are addressed.

    “You are aware that while we are here, some of these banks have gone ahead to retrench their workers and the minister has made a kind of position that the government frown at that. Probably, the government cannot impose its position on the employers.

    “But you should know that the government is a referee and as tripartite partners, organised labour wants to observe the rules. But if the rules regarding redundancy are not followed, obviously, we will frown at that.

    “This thing happened while we are here and when we get back to Nigeria, we will sit down and address it. We assure you that we will do something about it. Even if it means picketing these banks, just as they disobey the laws of collective bargaining when it comes to retrenching our members, we will also show them that they don’t have the monopoly of disobedience of law.

    “If the employer feels that it is in monopoly because of the downturn, simple courtesy demand that you call for a review of some of these collective bargaining agreements so that you all jointly own up to this and make sure that this problem of retrenchment and underemployment will be addressed.

    “If these things which are in place are not followed, obviously, they should expect the wrath of organised labour.”

    President of the NLC said the unions will not sit back and watch the workers being treated like slaves in their own country, adding that as workers, organised labour must protect the interest of the workers.

    Wabba said “these workers are Nigerians and they need our protection. The fact that people wants to exploit any loophole and take advantage of them is uncalled for.

    “There is a difference between mass sack and the issue of hire and fire. In this case, it is mass sack and we can’t allow a situation where these workers are exploited or their rights denied. We are aware of what is happening in the banking sector because they refuse their workers from being unionised.

    “They refused unionisation and the issue is on the table and so, you can’t come back and say these workers are not unionised. We must respect our laws because that is the major issue.

    “As a union, we have human and trade union rights and it is a matter we have discussed here. It is within the context of human and trade union rights that this issue is situated. Therefore, as workers, we must protect them.

    “Already, we are discussing how best to protect these workers because they are Nigerians? Do we allow employers to continue to exploit them? In one of the banks, those that they disengaged last year are yet to be paid their entitlement. Do we allow the situation to continue?

    “Was it not the same banks that got bailout from the government few years ago when they were in trouble. Was the money not from public coffer? We know that the employers must protect their members and we must also defend our members.

    “We are working together and whatever it will take to protect these poor workers, we will do it because it was not their fault that they were denied unionisation. We have many of the banks that we are having pending cases with.

    “We have written them officially that the workers want to unionise and they were dilly dally. The point now is how to protect these workers who have been thrown out of their jobs. Government should be concerned about any Nigerians who will be thrown out of the job.

    “So, what the ministry did is right to say, wait and let us discuss this issue first. How can that be an issue that will not be accepted? Except there is something hidden there.

    “Otherwise, I think the pronouncement of the minister is what is expected because when they had difficulty, it was government that gave them a bailout from our collective wealth”.

    Reacting to the development, NECA Director General,  Segun Oshinowo said; “I have been on the ground for long to fault that submission. When the current governor of Edo state, Adams Oshiomhole was the President of the NLC, we had this issue in the banking industry with one of the very big banks whom the unions had accused of de-unionisation. We were able to sit down and agree on the resolution of the matter.

    “In fact the ministry of Labour was involved in it. One of the options we were to consider then was to create an environment where individual workers in the banks will anonymously express whether they want to join the union or not. But we didn’t have to go that far because it was not necessary.

    “It is the responsibility of the unions to organise their members where ever they are. If the union should experience any obstacle in the course of that, they have the right to take the employer to court by making the point that the employer has denied their members being unionised. The question we should be asking them is whether they have tested this in court.

    “One would have expected them to take any employer that deny their staff the right to unionise to the National Industrial Court so that the court can make a pronouncement on it. Until they provide that evidence, every statement they are making is an allegation which they cannot substantiate”

  • Oyo/NLC face off: Govt invites labour unions to stakeholders meeting

    Oyo/NLC face off: Govt invites labour unions to stakeholders meeting

    Despite the wanton destruction of properties that had characterised the protest embark upon by students of public schools in Oyo State on Monday, the Oyo State government has extended a hand of fellowship to the labour movement in the state by inviting their representatives to a stakeholders meeting scheduled to hold today, June 7, 2016 to discuss  the proposed partnership with some stakeholders in the management of some schools in the state.

    The Secretary to the State Government, Ismail Olalekan Alli who stated this while briefing journalist in Ibadan, insisted that government does not intend to cede or sell off schools to private individuals, but was determined to improve the quality of education in the state.

    Alli who promised that the state government will nourish it’s existing relationship with the workforce, charge the labour movement to partner with the state government and desist from their presence stance which may cause disorder in the public.

    “The Education stakeholders forum will still hold at the House of Chiefs, Secretariat, today. Government wil guarantees the safety of all attendees for the meeting. Governor Ajimobi will lead the government delegation to the venue of the meeting. The forum will allow government to view stakeholders opinion and review some. We have invited all relevant stakeholders including the labour leaders.” he said

    Alli described the indefinite strike declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in the state as ‘ a figment of the imagination of those who called it’.

    He noted that no strike notice was issued to the government, adding that the government was not expecting any strike by the workforce because they do not have any dispute or negotiation with them.

  • Students protest: Oyo orders closure of schools

    Students protest: Oyo orders closure of schools

    • Says NLC strike is illegal

    Oyo State Government has ordered the immediate closure of all primary and secondary schools in the state as a way of protecting the lives and properties of the entire citizenry.

    In a statement issued on behalf of the state government by the State Communication team, they noted the attempt by some members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), to expose our staff and students to danger arising from the on-going court action against their members.

    “Today’s incident whereby some students and members of the public were once again coerced by labour to disrupt school sessions and engage in an unwarranted public protests and wanton destruction of property is highly condemnable.

    “Members of the Public will recall that members of the two bodies (NLC and NUT) and their hired collaborators last week disrupted the stakeholders’ forum organized by the government on the proposed participatory management of some public secondary schools,” the state government said

    Oyo State Government stated that the decision of the leadership of the NLC to declare total strike without existing labour dispute or ultimatum to the government contravenes all known labour laws and conventions.

    “It is quite unfortunate that labour leaders at the national level, who ought to know better, also failed to avail themselves of the opportunity of meeting with officials of the state government to clear apparent misconceptions about the intention of the government. The state government wishes to state for the umpteenth time that it never had any intention to privatize, commercialize or cede any of its public secondary schools to any individual or group.”

    According to the state government, the intention of the government is to partner willing stakeholders in the participatory management of a negligible number of the public secondary schools, which may not be more than 10 per cent of the existing 631 schools in the end.

    It noted that discussions are still ongoing with stakeholders on the matter which informed the invitation extended to those concerned, including labour, NUT and other members of the public to come and contribute to the discourse before a final decision is taken by the government.

    The State Government said:” The reality of today is that the government alone cannot solve the myriads of challenges confronting education and other critical sectors in the state. The unpatriotic role being played by the disgruntled labour leaders and their external collaborators will not proffer solution to the dilapidated state of infrastructure, poor performance of students in public examinations, low morale of teachers and unconducive teaching-learning environment.

    “Government will like to remind them that the era of brigandage and wanton destruction of public property has become history in the state and we will resist any attempt by any person or group, no matter their status, to draw us back into the dark era.”

    It described the forceful cooption of innocent school children to partake in baseless streets protest anchored on outright falsehood and rumour is as ‘unwarranted, shameless and evil’.

    “We want to use this medium to again advise parents to warn their children and wards not to allow themselves to be used for any unlawful gathering or protest, because law enforcement agents have been placed on red alert to disperse any unlawful assembly.

    Workers who have been directed to embark on strike over a matter that is still in the conception stage should have a rethink and report at their duty posts, while the government intensifies efforts to clear arrears of salary,” it’s stated.

     

  • Ondo workers begin indefinite strike June 1

    Ondo workers begin indefinite strike June 1

    Civil Servants in Ondo State are to begin an indefinite strike action on Wednesday, June 1, to protest non-payment of over five months salary.

    The strike notice is contained in a communiqué issued in Akure by the state Chairmen and Secretaries of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).

    It said that the decision followed an emergency meeting of the labour unions which reviewed the failure of the state government to pay the workers since January 2016.

    “It has become unbearable that workers have not received salaries for the past five months at a stretch.

    “That non-payment of salaries to workers have affected the wellbeing of workers/pensioners economically, socially, psychologically and health wise.

    “That workers of Ondo State can no longer bear this situation, in view of the untold hardship suffered by these workers,” it added.

    The unions, therefore, directed all civil servants in the state to remain at home beginning from June 1, until the government settles the salary arrears.

    The communiqué was signed by the state NLC Chairman, Bose Daramola, NLC Secretary, Adewale Sanusi, JNC Chairman, Sunday Adeleye, his Secretary Akinlolu Oluwole, as well as TUC Chairman and Secretary Ekundayo Soladoye and Fatuase Clement, respectively.

  • NLC Chairman slumps in Ebonyi

    Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ebonyi State Chapter, Comrade Ikechukwu Nwafor has been hospitalized at emergency ward of the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA) following his bitter encounter with Nigeria Police Force on Thursday.

    Mr Nwafor slumped after he was released yesterday by police and was immediately rushed to the hospital where he was still receiving treatment at press time.

    The NLC Chairman alongside other Labour leaders in the state, was tear-gassed, thoroughly beaten, thrown into a police hilux van and taken to Ebonyi state police headquarters where he was detained by Operatives of the Command.

    His crime? Leading a peaceful protest staged by NLC members in the state against the increase in electricity tariff and fuel pump price by Federal Government.

    The police were said to have intercepted the NLC members at Pastoral Centre along old Abakaliki-Enugu expressway and ordered them to move back to their office but they resisted and insisted on continuing the peaceful protest, a resistance which angered the police who used force on them.

    Nwafor was seen rolling on the ground while the police officers made up of Anti-robbery Squad were hitting him hard just as other NLC members who were in the train had their fair share of the brutality.

    Speaking on his hospital bed, Nwafor decried the action of the police saying they were handled like common criminals, alleging that they were indiscriminately  attacked and their bus and phones seized.

    He said” our greatest surprise was that this team was led by an Assistant  Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations and he was commanding his men to deal with me and even when I was on the ground he was matching me and ordered about five of them to lift me and throw me into a hilux van”.

    He alleged that the state Commissioner of Police,CP Peace Ibekwe Abdallah, confirmed through her responses when he was taken to her office she was the one who ordered the attack on him and his colleagues.

    He alleged the CP said the Union undermined her office for embarking on the protest without getting her approval, an allegation he denied, saying he notified her through writing and the CP attested she received it.

    Nwafor claimed even the men of Department of State Security Services, (DSS), sent to provide security for them were also attacked by police.

    He said:”We even gave the police the letter before DSS and the DSS sent their men, they were on the crew with their vehicle following us and guiding what we were doing.

    “But to our greatest surprise, police did not consider this, one of the DSS men was also attacked by police and his gun and phones collected forcefully from him. And before the CP, they checked his phone to make sure he did not video anything that happened”.

    He said he has communicated the national leadership of NLC who has promised to follow up the matter.

    The chairman however, accused the CP of acting a script which he was yet to understand recalling how the police had been trailing him prior to the incident.

    But the Police CP Ibekwe denied that the workers were attacked.

    CP Ibekwe who described the protest as an unlawful assembly which could lead to breakdown of law and order maintained that her men used minimal force to disperse the crowd adding that the protesters did not inform the Police before embarking on the protest.