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Tag: Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)

  • Falana urges NLC to lead workers on anti-corruption war

    …tasks PENGASSAN to recover $60b for minimum wage 

    Human right activist, Femi Falana (SAN) on Thursday urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to lead the nation’s workers in the fight against corruption. 

    He admonished the workers not to leave the battle to the government, stressing that “no government fights corruption genuinely.”

    He spoke as the guest speaker at the 40th anniversary of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria  (PENGASSAN) in Abuja.  The theme of discussion  was “Dynamic Labour Leadership Fueling the Edonomy.”

    The legal luminary, who insisted that Nigeria was yet to get value for its oil and gas industry blessings, wondered why the country remains a borrower instead of being a lender to other nations. 

    He said that peace will continue to elude the nation in as much as it has over 30 million children on the streets, stressing that the oil and gas industry remains the economic mainstay of the country that it can use to rescue the suffering citizenry. 

    Falana recalled that in 2015,, he wrote a letter to direct the attention of the Federal Government to the offshore and inland contract act that said that government should review the sharing contract whenever the price of crude oil exceeds $25 per barrel. Continuing, he said “I wrote to NNPC, I wrote to the Saraki led National Assembly  . In 2016, Kachikwu confessed that $60billion has been lost due to the non-implementation of the policy.”

    The senior lawyer noted that Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom States challenged the non-implementation up to the Supreme Court, where it was in their favour on Wednesday. 

    He insisted that “we should collect the money. PENGASSAN should get the money for minimum wage.”

    Speaking,, President Muhammadu Buhari who was represented by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, said the association has played a vital role in the stabilization of the country. 

    Read Also: Obasanjo has right to support any candidate, says Falana

    He said that the government recognized the potential of the sector to contribute to the Gross Domestic Product of the nation. 

    He said that it was his pleasure to support the association in championing the N1.5billion appeal fund for a digital liibrary

    Kachikwu said that he was particularly grateful to the association for the support and understanding it accorded him during the increase in the pump price of petrol. 

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Group Managing Director (GMD), Dr. Maikanti Baru’ commended the association for the maturity it exhibited during industrial disputes resolutions. 

    Continuing, he said that “This is why I am enamoured of the theme of this event: “Dynamic Labour Leadership – Fueling the Economy”. Ours is a critical industry in respect of the economy of the state. Our action or inaction has a bearing on the Country’s social economic indices, performance and the well-being of the generality of Nigerians.”

     He said that the leadership and the followership of PENGASSAN  had aligned with Management and or Government to move the industry forward. 

    He noted that the Industry values the association’s  contribution to the current democratic dispensation in the Country. 

    According to him, “At the critical moments, the leadership of PENGASSAN and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), along with other labour unions, had made a difference, redirecting the course of the Nation’s history.

     “Similarly, the Corporation appreciates your consistent involvement in the Industry policy formulation. The most recent being the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). Your advocacy for robust local content development as well as your complementary role to grow a virile and productive economy for the Country. 

    “These have gone a long way to demonstrate the high stake you have exhibited in the service of the Industry and the Nation. I can only add that you keep up your good work.”

  • Civil servants resume work after labour strike

    Activities at the Federal Secretariat in FCT have picked up as many civil servants resumed work after the labour strike and 58th independence anniversary holiday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria said, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had on the midnight of Sept. 26, embarked on a nationwide strike.

    The strike was to press its demand for the implementation of the new minimum wage for workers in the country but was called off on Sunday for further negotiations with the government.

    The News Agency of Nigeria correspondent, who monitored activities at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja and its environs, reports that over 80 per cent of staff was seen in their offices going about their normal duties.

    News Agency of Nigeria also observed that the car park of the secretariat was busy and almost full.

    Read Also: Lagos seeks civil servants’ help in law implementation

    Mr Akinwale Adegbola, a civil servant who spoke to News Agency of Nigeria said that he was glad the strike was called off and that he hoped government had gotten the message.

    “We have resumed and hoping that the strike made a positive impact.

    “I believe that government will definitely do something to make people happy soon by meeting the demands of the NLC and increasing the new minimum wage,” he said.

    Another civil servant, Mrs Funke Jide said that the suspension of the strike signified that the government was willing to increase the minimum wage.

    She added that industrial action was not good for any nation’s economic development as it always crippled activities.

  • Strike: Govt. offices shut as Ekiti workers stay at home

    Government offices were locked in Ekiti State on Thursday as workers  complied with the Labour directive to stay away from work on the first day of the nationwide warning strike.

    The officials of the state councils of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) moved round to ensure compliance with the strike.

    The Governor’s Office, House of Assembly, High Court complex, the State Secretariat housing Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) remained desolate.

    Private business organisations like shops, hotels,  petrol  stations,  eateries, banks opened for business.

    Some of the banks that opened earlier in the day closed again at about 1.00pm when labour leaders were moving around to ensure compliance.

    Read Also: Accident claims 18 in Ekiti

    Commercial motorcycle operators, taxi and bus drivers defied the strike order and continued their activities unabated.

    State TUC chairman, Mr. Odunayo Adesoye, expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance expressing optimism that workers in the informal sector would comply in subsequent days.

    Adesoye, who justified the strike, argued that the present minimum wage was no longer sustainable.

    He disclosed that the organized labour may picket offices where the strike appeared ineffective on its first day.

    Adesoye said: “We expect that the banks, commercial drivers, Okada operators and sole business owners will participate in this strike. We have reached out to the Civil Society Organisations to ensure will mobilize for the strike

    “We are not going to shy away from picketing areas that fail to conform with our directive as given from Abuja

    “This is a fight that has to do with our collective destiny. We must ensure that our commonwealth should be evenly distributed. It shouldn’t be concentrated in the hands of a few Nigerian leaders to begin to feed fat on the nation

    “What they said they are giving us is a take home, but what we are getting cannot take us half home in the real sense of it, so we must demand for a fair share of our national treasure.”

  • Strike: Partial compliance in Sokoto, Kebbi

    The nationwide strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has recorded partial compliance in Sokoto and Kebbi States.

    In Sokoto, that work is going on at federal and state government owned hospitals, as well as higher institutions.

    Although courts visited were not sitting, primary and secondary schools were operating while some offices remained opened at the federal secretariat.

    According to our reporters, commercial banks had opened for business in spite of attempt by labour leaders to make them stop operations.

    However, Aminu Umar, State Chairman of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), said the strike had recorded substantial compliance and would be total in next coming days.

    Umar told our reporters that substantial compliance has been ensured in government agencies including the state Secretariat.

    He said a team had been constituted by labour leaders in the state to monitor compliance.

    Meanwhile, in Kebbi public schools have been shut in compliance with the strike order.

    A teacher in one of the public schools in Birnin Kebbi, Mrs. Richeal Ngozi told our reporters that they had to send back pupils after the state branch of Nigeria Union of Teachers ordered teachers to remain at home.

    Read Also: FG brainstorms to halt labour strike

    A student of Gwadangwaji Government Secondary School, Birnin Kebbi, Aliyu Bello said,” the reason we are going back home is that we have been waiting for our teachers to come and none of them came, and we were later told by an official to go back home.”

    When our reporters visited a branch of Keystone Bank, normal operations were going on.

    However, a staff of the bank, who sought anonymity, said, “We are just waiting for an email message from the bank head office in Lagos,  by 12 noon, we will close and join the strike.”

    Also, activities at the Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi, have been paralyzed as staff joined the strike.

    At the state secretariat, normal official work was going on as at the time of this report.

    NAN

  • Kogi labour unions order shut down of private, public offices

    The organised labour in Kogi has directed workers in the private and public sectors to embark on a seven-day strike with effect from Sept. 27.

    The directive was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday in Lokoja by the state chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC).

    Messr Onu Edoka, Ranti Ojo and Aaron Akeji, state Chairmen of NLC, TUC and JPSNC respectively, signed the statement on behalf of the unions.

    According to the statement, the declaration of the strike is in line with the position of the national leadership of the unions to press home the demand for a new minimum wage.

    Read Also: Labour serves one-week strike notice in Kogi

    It directed that all public and private offices at state and local government levels be shut down, saying that workers should remain at home within the stipulated period of the strike and await further directive.

    The organized Labour said it was monitoring events on the N15 billion London and Paris Club refund recently released to the to the state government.

    “We await the setting up of committee for the disbursement of the fund as being done in other states,” the statement said.

  • NNPC cautions consumers against panic buying of petrol 

    …says FG, NLC are addressing planned strike

     

    The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, has appealed to motorists and other consumers of petroleum products across the country not to engage in panic buying of products over the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) planned industrial action.

    Read Also:20 ships discharge petroleum products, others at Lagos ports

    Baru said the Federal Government was seriously engaging the NLC on the issues it raised, a release by NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, stated today (Wednesday) in Abuja.

    Ughamadu quoted the NNPC GMD as affirming that the Nation had 37- day petroleum Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise called petrol, self- sufficiency, assuring that all the NNPC’s depots across the country, including the private ones engaged by the corporation on throughput basis, have an abundance of petroleum products to meet the needs of Nigerians.

    The statement said all NNPC depot managers have been instructed to intensify products loading and other activities in their depots to avert any fallout of developments in respect of the NLC’s proposed strike.

    Baru explained that the NNPC would continue to meet the products consumption needs of all Nigerians wherever they may be within the shores of the country.

  • NLC condemns killing of health workers in North East

    …task security agents

     

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has asked security agents in the country to put in more efforts in stamping out insurgency in the country, and condemned in strong terms, the recent abduction and killing of health workers describing it as callous and inhuman.

    President of Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba said in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja that even though the security agents are trying to best, more efforts should be put into the fight in other to save the lives of aide workers who are carrying out humanitarian services in the region.

    Read Also:NLC to Nigerians: Interrogate political spending

    The statement reads: “The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) expresses utmost outrage at the recent killing and abduction of health workers by criminals suspected to be insurgents. This is the umpteenth time that such killings and abductions are taking place especially in North East, Nigeria. The NLC says without equivocation “Enough is Enough”.

    “We are particularly dismayed at this cruelty against very patriotic Nigerian workers who are daring impossible odds especially at the risk of their lives just to bring humanitarian comfort and relief to their fellow citizens.

    “Killing and abducting workers who are making such sacrifices is not only callous but also barbaric. So far, we have lost hundreds of workers to the senseless killings, insurgency and terrorism that is currently making a bold renaissance in the North East region of Nigeria.
    “We also want to use this medium to bring to the attention of the world, the huge challenge that workers and citizens are going through in the North East especially in the Internally Displaced Camps.

    “Now is the time to end the sufferings that they are going through in the North East and other parts of the country that are witnessing unbridled killings, mass murders and general lawlessness.
    “We call on the government to muster the required political will to stamp out the evil of insurgency and terrorism from our shores once and for all. The government should also make the welfare of workers in these troubled spots a top priority.

    “While we commend our armed forces for the huge sacrifice they are making in different conflict zones in our land, we urge them to increase their commitment in the fight against mass killings, insurgency and terrorism in our country. We also call on government to make the welfare of our armed forces a matter of topmost priority.

    “We implore our security agencies to intensify efforts to ensure that those behind the killing and abduction of our comrades are brought to justice as quickly as possible. Our security forces should also ensure that abducted workers are released to their families unharmed.”

  • Ekiti workers angry with Fayose over purchase of N75 million Jeep

    …NLC, TUC say governor insensitive to workers’ suffering

    Workers in Ekiti State are angry with Governor Ayo Fayose over the purchase of N75 million Lexus jeep 2018 model as a “parting gift” less than fifty days to exit from office.

    They also slammed the governor for alleged N43 million severance benefits for him and his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola.

    The state councils of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) said the vehicle purchase and severance package was an act of insensitivity to the plight of the workers.

    Read Also:Fayose’s aide speaks on N75 million Lexus “parting gift”

    The unions wondered why a governor who has refused to pay backlog of salaries would be contemplating buying of exotic vehicle and paying himself severance as partying gifts.

    Government workers are owed between five and eight month arrears of salaries while retirees are owed about nine month arrears of pensions.

    In a joint statement on Friday signed by the state NLC Chairman, Mr. Ade Adesanmi and his TUC counterpart, Mr. Odunayo Adesoye, also described the “parting gifts” to Fayose and Olusola as “selfish.”

    The workers’ leaders said Fayose ought to have been concerned with how the backlog of arrears of workers’ salaries and retirees’ pensions will be paid.

    According to them, “there would be industrial crisis in the state, if the governor proceeded with his plans in paying himself and his Deputy that huge amount and purchasing the new vehicle.”

    The “If it is true that the state government has approved the purchase of N74million worth of vehicle as parting gift and N43 million severance package each for the governor and his deputy.

    “We stand to condemn it in its entirety, it is an act of selfishness and insensitive to the plight of workers and pensioners in Ekiti State.

    “If a government is owing workers several arrears of salaries and at this critical time that the state ought to have mopped up all its resources to ensure that the outstanding salary arrears and other
    entitlement are defrayed, that the governor as an individual is now clamouring for the payment of severance allowance and take away gift of N74 million Utility Sport Vehicle.

    “We call on the governor to desist from such act and look for a way to pay workers’ salaries and if government should go ahead with this action there will be industrial crisis in Ekiti state,” the union leaders said.

    On the allegations of illegal sale of state assets leveled against Fayose, Adesanmi said, “I don’t think that act is right.

    “We stand to condemn it as well, because if property has been existing for several years now and has not been sold by previous governments and you have just few weeks to exit and you are putting them up for sale.

    “It is condemnable and people buying that kind of property should know that this is not right, the incoming government would set up administrative panel to look into it.”

    When contacted for reaction, the Commissioner for Information in the state, Lanre Ogunsuyi said he had no comment on the allegations.

  • NLC accuses NCC of aiding MTN to undermine Nigerian laws

    …Says we are coming to picket you

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) of aiding telecommunications giant, MTN Nigeria to disobey extant Nigerian laws and international Labour laws and convention which the country signed since 1960.

    Labour is also accusing MTN Nigeria of subjecting Nigerian Workers to untold harsh and unfriendly Labour practices such as casualisation, disallowing unionization among.

    Read Also:Why we are picketing MTN, says NLC

    Labour is also accusing MTN Nigeria of being one of the biggest threats to the nation’s security, putting the lives of Nigerian security agents at risk and funding their global operation with funds made from Nigeria, while subjecting Nigerian workers to untold hardship.

    In a letter to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and signed by the President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, the NLC said it was forced to picket the company offices across the country because of its clear violation of national and international Labour laws especially ILO Conventions 87 and 98 has denied its workers their fundamental rights at work which Nigeria ratified since 1960.

    Wabba said it was unfortunate that the NCC that is supposed to be a regulatory agency statutorily charged with the dual role of creating an enabling environment for business operations as well as protecting consumers and workers has failed to play that role.

    He said “It is perfidious that NCC sees its role only as that of protecting the telecom infrastructure, even though none of them came under threat as alleged by MTN during our peaceful picket.

    “The rush by NCC to report NLC to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) is both hypocritical and suspect. But we do know who plays the piper, dictates the tune.

    “NCC did not see anything wrong with hosting critical data outside Nigeria or with continual loss of jobs by Nigerians in spite of the unspeakable money made and repatriated by telecom operators.

    “It did not see anything wrong with the violation of Nigerian Laws, Labour Laws or security breaches leading to the loss of lives of security personnel, not to talk about humongous illicit financial flows as highlighted in the Thabo Mbeki Report which continue to undermine our national wellbeing or security.

    “In our estimation, the greatest threat to Nigeria’s national security is not by Nigerian workers but the bullish and arrogant attitude of MTN and its co-travellers or collaborators like the NCC.

    “Let NCC continue to promote this talk about MTN infrastructure constituting core critical national asset. We do not begrudge them. For us at the Nigeria Labour Congress, however, no asset can be more critical to Nigeria than Nigerians themselves.

    “Accordingly, we wish to put NCC on notice that we will picket it the way we picketed MTN if it continues to discharge its duties in the breach. Let it continue with its amebo instead of doing the work for which it is established.

    “The Nigeria Labour Congress is a pan-Nigerian organisation which jealously guards our national interests. No one should blackmail it even though it may not have the wherewithal to organise or sponsor executives to foreign seminars or workshops every week!

    “A perfunctory look at MTN’s global activities and earnings confirms our assertion that proceeds from MTN Nigeria is used to run the global MTN. Where therefore does this arrogance come from?

    “We insist that companies, no matter how rich or powerful must respect our leaders, and obey the laws of the land. We insist they must treat Nigerians fairly and decently, for, clearly, Nigerian workers, nay, Nigerians have been at the receiving end of the bad behavior of some transnationals in the telecom sector. Enough is enough.

    “Workers of Airtel, First Bank, Union Bank and many other companies were salvaged from slave labour by the Nigeria Labour Congress through this same process or action. MTN therefore, should not be given preferential treatment or consider itself to be above the law.

    “The three-day picket represents the first step in the series of lawful actions we shall be taking against companies that act in breach of national and international labour laws and our national interest. We owe no one an apology for that. We would wish to let everyone know that we are committed to this operation. We have the will and the means to sustain it.”

    The congress said further that “It similarly engages in other anti-labour practices such as casualisation for nearly all types of work, fixed- term contract work for Nigerian workers, worst forms of precarious work, etc.

    “It is on record that the Nigeria Labour Congress on several occasions protested to the MTN and government about these unwholesome practices without a reasonable response.

    “October 7th last year during the World Decent Work Day marked a watershed in these protests as NLC briefly picketed their Maitama office, Abuja. In response to this action of the Congress, MTN reached out to NECA (Nigerian Employers Consultative Association) which brokered a meeting. However, due to inexplicable reasons, MTN opted out of the negotiations to the chagrin and embarrassment of NECA.

    “Thereafter every effort by NECA and NLC to get MTN to the negotiating table failed. Frustrated, NECA pulled out of the negotiations. Subsequent efforts by the Congress yielded no response either. Left with no other choice, the Congress served MTN notice of a picket in line with the provisions of the law.”

  • Why we are picketing MTN, says NLC

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said on Tuesday that it decided to picket all MTN offices nationwide because of the unfriendly Labour practice of the company, saying no amount of blackmail will deter them from continuing with the action.

    In a statement signed by its President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, the Congress said all its efforts and those brokered by the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association to address the issues of unfriendly Labour practices and disallowing its workers to unionize failed as the company fail to return to the negotiating table.

    It said even though the company makes 60 percent of its profit from Nigeria, it is only in Nigeria that MTN workers are not unionised and are subjected to casualisation in total violation of the Labour laws in the country and the ILO conventions.

    Read Also:Labour pickets MTN over anti-workers policies

    The statement reads: “Today, Tuesday, July 10, marks the second day of the picketing of MTN offices nationwide by the Nigeria Labour Congress and its civil society allies. This press statement is intended to explain the reasons for this action as well as debunk the false information being fed to the public by MTN that our members have been unruly in prosecuting this action which is intended to divert attention from the real issues.

    “MTN Nigeria, since it commenced operations in Nigeria and in clear violation of extant national and international labour laws, especially ILO Conventions 87 and 98 has denied its workers the fundamental principles of the rights at work.

    “It similarly indulges in other anti-labour practices such as casualisation for nearly all types of work, fixed- term contract work for Nigerian workers, worst forms of precarious work, etc.

    “It is on record that the Nigeria Labour Congress, on several occasions protested to the MTN and government about these unwholesome practices.

    The World Decent Work Day marked on October 7th last year marked a watershed in these protests as NLC briefly picketed their Maitama office in Abuja.

    “In response to this action of NLC, MTN reached out to NECA (Nigerian Employers Consultative Association) which brokered a meeting. However, due to inexplicable reasons, MTN opted out of the negotiations to the chagrin and embarrassment of NECA.

    “Thereafter every effort by NECA and NLC to get MTN to the negotiating table failed. Frustrated, NECA pulled out of the negotiations. Subsequent efforts by NLC yielded no response either. Left with no other choice, NLC served MTN notice of a picket in line with the provisions of the law. This action commenced across the country yesterday, Monday, July 9, 2018.

    “And in prosecuting this picket, our members have been peaceful and orderly.
    We have not destroyed the property of MTN and we do not intend to do so as that is not our objective anyway. There is no doubt that we are clear about our objectives and we shall not allow anything to distract us.  We are responsible workers and we are alive to our duties and responsibilities.

    “Even when MTN sponsored members of a private security company (with which it works) to attack and injure some of our members, we resisted the option of a proportionate response.

    “The Falomo police have in their custody one of the attackers and an ID card of one of the assailants.

    “MTN therefore, instead of resorting to cheap blackmail and propaganda should do the needful, give to Nigerian workers in their employ, their rights to freely associate, and hold an opinion as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution, the Labour Laws and Conventions 87 and 98 of the ILO.

    “It is equally important to explain that Nigeria is the only country MTN refuses to allow workers to unionise. In South Africa where the company comes from, workers are unionised. Indeed, our counterparts in South Africa are worried that we have allowed this matter to linger for so long as MTN may choose to try to impose similar conditions on them.

    “In Ghana, workers are unionised as in every other country MTN carries on business. It is important to point out that MTN makes over 60 per cent of its global money in Nigeria. Why then must it be so disdainful of our laws and people.

    “However, its acts of impunity are not entirely new. Nigerians may recall it was the same MTN in clear breach of national security that imperiled the lives of our security personnel in the Northeast over which it was fined.

    “We insist that companies, no matter how rich or powerful must obey the laws of the land. We insist they must treat Nigerians fairly and decently. No one should be above the law.  Let all Nigerians know we are committed to this operation. We have the will and the means to sustain it.

    “Finally, we commend the Nigeria Police so far for their exemplary conduct. We single out for special commendation the police in and around Falomo, Lagos.”