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Tag: Nigeria Labour Congress

  • Sacked Ekiti workers protest, beg Fayemi for re-absorption

    Some workers recently disengaged by the Ekiti State government for being  ‘irregular workers’, yesterday   staged a peaceful protest to appeal to Governor Kayode Fayemi to reverse  the decision.

      The Nation gathered that among the protesters were the 568 primary and secondary school teachers recruited into Teaching Service Commission (TSC) by ex-governor Ayodele Fayose. They are among the 2,000 state workers employed after the July 14, 2018 election.

    The protesters stormed the Teaching Service Commission located within the State Secretariat complex at about 8.30am with their letters of appointments to show that they were legitimately hired.

    The Commissioner for Information, Muyiwa Olumilua had on Wednesday revealed government’s intention to sack the 2,000 workers, and others whose recruitment exercise violated due process.

    Speaking on behalf of the sacked workers, Mr. Olawole Ganiyu, said contrary to the pronouncement made by the state government that they were employed illegally, he said their appointments were in line with the civil service rule.

    He said: “During the Fayose-led government, we were at home when vacancies were advertised. We paid N1000 to buy forms. We wrote examinations and sat for interview. Scores of the examinations’ results were pasted at TSC.

    “Later, qualified people sat for interview and letters of appointments and posting were given to successful them. What was in our letters was that, we are to work for three months before getting salaries, but we have not been paid a dime since eight months ago.

    Read Also: Fayemi: Clearing Augean stable in Ekiti

    “Government must be passionate. We were born and brought up here in Ekiti.  Most of us have relocated to our schools and worked hard. Some of us even resigned from our previous places of work to take up these appointments.”

    Another victim, Mr. Akande Adekunle , expressed sadness that they could be allowed to suffer since September 28, 2018 they were offered employments without any pay.

    “We went through due process. It was a process that was legitimate. When the present government came, we expected pronouncement from the government and TSC, but they said we should be working because our employments were legitimate.

    “We have to clarify that we were not sponsored by politicians. We have no godfathers and government should be a continuum. Why are we being treated this way? It was shocking that they said we didn’t pass through due process.

    The Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Com Joshua Kolapo and his counterpart in Trade Union Congress (TUC), Com Sola Adigun, begged the government to rescind the decision and reabsorb the workers into the civil service.

    However, a release signed by Fayemi’s Chief Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode , said  the governor did not sack any one , saying “ you cannot sack people duly employed in the first place.”

    Oyebode described the recruitment exercise carried out by Fayose as  illegal and a complete scam.

    “The recruitments were obviously mischievous because it neither followed due process nor was ever completed.

    “The affected persons were not duly captured in the Civil Service Structure. Apart from a letter of employment, they do not exist in the State Civil Service Nominal Roll.

    “They were never captured in the state’s biometric payment system and never received any salary since the purported “appointments”.

    “A proper recruitment process will begin as soon as the HoS ascertains the available vacancies in the Public Service. All Ekiti indigenes are qualified to apply, including the 2000 that were scammed by ex-Gov Fayose”, Oyebode added.

  • NLC to Buhari: sign Innovation bill

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sign into law the National Research and Innovation Council (NRIC) Bill.

    NLC President Ayuba Wabba, who spoke with journalists in Abuja, said the bill just passed by the National Assembly was vital to Nigeria’s quest for technological revolution, industrialisation, human security, inclusive national development and shared prosperity.

    Wabba said research and technology were key to the quest for industrialisation and technological advancement, and that the NRIC Bill would ensure adequate funding for researchers.

    The NLC president bemoaned poor funding of research in the country, stressing that there is urgent need to create legal framework to ensure adequate funding in research institutions.

    He said “part of the broad strategy to create mass decent jobs should include very ambitious drive to develop our mining and solid minerals sector”.

    Read Also: Buhari off to Saudi Arabia for Umrah

    “Nigeria is endowed with diverse solid minerals. Unfortunately, since the discovery of crude oil in 1956, Nigeria has progressively lost its pride of place as one of the mining destinations in Africa. The contribution of solid minerals to national GDP has plummeted from 4 to 5 per cent in the first two decades, following independence to about 0.46 per cent or N400 billion contributions to GDP.

    “The near extinction of our mining sector has resulted into major job losses thus exacerbating Nigeria’s unemployment crisis. We call on government to fund access roads to mining sites, provide water reservoirs in mining sites and training of artisanal miners and lapidarists to enhance their value to the industry.

    “It is also important for government to increase funding on the sourcing of geo-scientific data on mining resources as against the current practice of depending on aerial geo-physical survey. We call for the modernisation and development of solid minerals sector with a view to ensuring domestic value addition, local beneficiation and use in other industries.”

    “In the context, the Federal Government should discourage export of any solid minerals in their crude forms. In order to add value to our vast mineral resources and move our country from primary to secondary and tertiary levels of production, research and technology is key. While we commend President Muhammadu Buhari for inaugurating the National Research and Innovation Council (NRIC) in January 2016, we call on Mr. President to go a step further to assent to the NRIC Bill (2019) which had been transmitted to him by the National Assembly.”

    Meanwhile the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), the umbrella body of researchers in Federal Research and Development Institutions (RDIs), Colleges of

    Agriculture and Forestry, Allied Institutions and Centres, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to give quick assent to the National Research Innovation Council (NRIC) Bill 2019 recently passed by the National Assembly.

    The Union in a statement by its general Secretary, Dr Theophilus  Ndubuaku, said Nigeria unbelievably operates close to zero budgetary allocation to research, stressing that once signed into law, NRIC Bill will increase Nigeria’s research capacity and improve its technological base.

    The ASURI general Secretary expressed concern that in most of the over 150 Nigerian Research and Development Institutions (RDIs) and centres, research and training activities are self-funded by researchers because they must acquire higher degrees and produce research publications before they can be promoted at every stage of their careers.

    “Consequently, Nigerian career researchers are the poorest cadre of public servants as they must devote over half of their salaries for research if they must advance in their profession. The NRIC Bill 2018 provides for the institutional research and training funding mechanism and infrastructural development for RDIs in Nigeria.

  • Minimum wage battle is not over, says Wabba

    Comrade Ayuba Wabba is the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). In this interview with Victor Oluwasegun and Tony Akowe, he speaks on the new minimum wage, unionizing the Police and other paramilitary agencies, and issues concerning the Nigerian workers and the country as a whole. Excepts

    MAY 1 is considered as a day for workers. What has been the progress made so far and the challenges?

    Symbolically, May 1 is to celebrate workers. It is a day set aside to look at the conditions of workers around the world. We have also used the opportunity of the May Day to canvass policy options that will bring about social justice in our system that will be able to address the challenges of workers. There has been some progress and challenges and progressively, most of the gains that workers have been able to achieve. It is given that when a worker works, he deserves his pay and so, the issue of his monthly pay should not be an issue. But recently, you have seen that in some states and local government and even in some private entities, the issue of workers’ wages is taken for granted. Regular payment of salaries is becoming a challenge because our political elites no longer prioritise the welfare of workers as it used to be. Therefore, it has become a continuous struggle between capital and labour. So, we have continued to make sure that policies are not made in such a way that it will put labour at a very disadvantaged position. Global wealth in the last two decades has more than tripled, but what is the condition of workers around the

    world, especially here in Nigeria. If you look at the previous years and what we have now, you will discover that we have not made progress and the little progress we have made are being eroded. If you look at the issue of the minimum wage, as far back as 1981, the N120 minimum wage was equivalent to $2,440. In 2011, the N18,000 minimum wage was hovering around 140 dollars. But today, we are even discussing to increase the minimum wage of N30,000 which is less than $100 and people are finding it difficult to pay that. Today, you have seen that there are lots of challenges, workers no longer have decent living, many workers cannot send their children to school, many of them cannot have three meals per day and many others cannot pay their bills.

    We have also used the May Day to make progress. The struggle for the first May Day was to ensure workers get eight hours of work per day. Before then, workers worked like slaves. If you fall ill, you’re replaced and business continues. It was through the agitation of workers that we were able to get the eight hours a day, forty hours per week, maternity leave, leave allowance, leave days among others. All these were not achieved on a platter of gold, but through our collective struggle as working class. Therefore, these have been some of the achievements and there are some challenges that are on ground.

    For Nigeria as a member nation of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), what have been the gains after 60 years as a member?

    Substantially, let me say that Nigeria has keyed into the adoption and ratification of the eight conventions. Nigeria is the first country in Africa to do so. Precisely, we did that in October 1960 under a democratic progressive government where the eight conventions were ratified by Nigeria. That is the foundation because you can’t put something on nothing. That is the foundation of the progress we have made. Despite operating under a military regime that didn’t want freedom of workers to be respected, but because those conventions were put in place, they found it difficult to either use force or try to undermine those conventions. Each time those conventions were undermined; ILO has

    come down hard on Nigeria. If you remember, on two occasions, the NLC was dissolved, but it was still recognised internationally as the trade union body representing the interest of Nigerian workers and within that period, the President of the NLC, Comrade Ali Ciroma continued to serve on the governing board of the ILO. So, without standards, the rules will not be respected and the rules have so far been respected in Nigeria and where there are infractions, we have avenue to lodge complaints and they will be looked into and addressed. So, progressively, Nigeria has been able to achieve a lot within the umbrella of the ILO. You will recall that we are the first country in Africa to host the field office of the ILO as far back as 1959 and Nigeria is the first country to host the regional conference of ILO.

    The issue of the minimum wage has practically been laid to rest with the signing of the law ad we are now going into the implementation stage. How do you intend to drive the process to ensure that it is implemented without any hitch particularly within the state and private sector level?

    I will say that it has not been finally laid to rest because it has three legs. We have been able to pass the first two huddles. The first huddle is agreeing on a figure and you will recall that it was an issue that went forward and backward. But because we were able to inform all those concerned that when you agree on a collective bargaining table, you take all issues into considerations, including the ability to pay as well as the interest of the organised private sector and the informal sector. That was how the NLC was able to negotiate and ensure that we have an increase. That is the rationale behind accept

    ing the N30,000. You could recall that our demand was actually N66,500. Even that was just to bring back the value of N18,000 minimum wage which was about 140 dollars. That is actually the logic in that argument. But on the negotiating table, there is always the process of give and take and that was how we agreed on the N30,000 which is not something that should be argued about.  But you saw how some people tried to twist the information, including trying to bend the truth. The beauty of it is that you can bend the truth, but truth will always remain and will surface at the end of the day. We presented the fact at the public hearing saying negotiations are like consent judgments. Once you concede to an issue, you can’t go back to court and say, no, I did not agree. We told them that this was like a consent judgment because all agreed on the N30,000. I want to thank NECA for their efforts. Despite the fact that they are in business for profits, they have not let us down. They are people that have remained very honourable and told the public hearing that the N30,000 was mutually agreed and that they stand by that. That was how we passed the first huddle with the two chambers of the National Assembly passing the bill. We must put on record, our appreciation to the House of Representatives because they assured us that once the bill is introduced to parliament, they will pass it into law within three days and they did just that in a celebrated manner. The bill was also signed by Mr. President and with that, N30,000 has come to stay. It is now legal and everybody that does not pay is infringing on our laws.

    Does that include the private companies?

    Yes. In fact, I don’t think the private companies have issues because most of them are very passionate and some of them are paying higher than that and they are ready to pay higher. Clearly, the issue is with the local government and states that are not ready to utilise the resources that abound in their domains, but rely on monthly handouts from the centre.

    But there is a law that says you can’t mine the resources within your domain.

    We are not talking about mining, but internally generated revenue. Every state can use their ingenuity to generate more revenue and augment whatever comes from the federal allocation. There is no state in Nigeria that does not have revenue, but the problem is accounting for the revenue. In fact, in most cases, the revenue has become pocket money for the boys and not accounted for. So, we want the internally generated revenue to be accounted for. We have also progressively put some recommendations in place on how the federal government can generate revenue and one is the issue of tax. We have looked at our tax to GDP and discovered that we are the lowest in Africa because it is only workers that pay correct tax. Our rich men don’t pay tax. We have many billionaires who only declare profit, but not what they pay as tax. We need to make sure that our tax to income is something that is progressively expanded to cover everybody. If we do this, there will be more than enough. In fact, most countries of the world rely so much on tax to develop their economies. In our own case, it is only workers that pay the tax. Second, is managing our God given resources. For example in the oil and gas sector, Nigeria has no basis importing refined product and exporting crude oil. Countries like Singapore that does not have oil, have a refinery. We now take our crude oil, transport it, pay taxes and levies to go and refine it and import the refined products does not make economic sense. That is why we have had tremendous wastage in the oil and gas. That is

    why the issue of subsidy is still there; that is why the issue of transparency has become a challenge in the management of those resources. As far back as 2008, NLC had a well-documented position on the so called subsidy or deregulation or whatever name you call it. We sat with government and they pleaded for a four year moratorium to fix our refineries and end the regime of importation. That has not taken place till now, nothing has happened and the situation has continued under different regimes. Therefore, that is the centrality of our problem. Our entire economic challenge is tied to this particular issue. It is an area where we have comparative advantage. There is no OPEC country today that does not refine crude oil for domestic use. The existing refineries can actually meet our domestic consumption need. Refineries can be upgraded. We brought one of the best Nigerians from Texas who consults for many countries including OPEC to give us a position paper on how to fix our oil and gas and he gave us a very good paper. We are trying to dust that paper now and write a white paper to government that this thing can be done. He told us how to ensure the security of the pipelines, how to ensure that our refineries are upgraded and are working optimally; what can be done to care for the entire West African market as well as the resources that will accrue to Nigeria and the jobs that will be created.

    There is also the issue of casualisation especially with the foreign companies. What is the NLC going to do to ensure they benefit?

    The law is very explicit. Once you are employing 25 workers and above, you should implement the minimum wage. We are aware that people actually under declare, but we’re going to make sure that implementation is enforced. Even if they are casual staff or the services are outsourced, that does not exclude them from the minimum wage. The exclusion from the minimum wage is very explicit. So, those categories of workers will still benefit from the minimum wage.

    Don’t you think that the wage increase will trigger inflation?

    I am yet to have an empirical date

    to link minimum wage to the issue of inflation in Nigeria. When the 2011 minimum wage was implemented, our inflation rate dropped and for two years, the inflation rate actually dropped and you can confirm that from the National Bureau of Statistics. There are many things responsible for inflation and not essentially minimum wage. If today the exchange rate is stabilised and we are able to get exchange rate of about N200 to the dollar, cost of goods and services will also come down. The issue is that most of the things we use in Nigeria are imported and they are tied to the exchange rate. At every point the exchange rate fluctuates, the cost is transferred to the consumer. So, there is no direct empirical data that links the issue of minimum wage to the hyper inflation that we have had. When the last minimum wage was implemented, the exchange rate was less than N200 and there are several reasons why the rate of inflation has gone up. So, I don’t expect that there will be inflation that will be out of proportion as a result of the minimum wage.

    The country is using the dual exchange regime whereby at CBN official rate and the parallel market rates are causing dislocations in the economy.  What is your take?

    Yes! We have dual exchange rates, one in the open market, and the one being sold by the CBN. I think the CBN rate is around N306 which, if you’re travelling, will be given a limited amount you can use. This regime has continued for quite some time. I think it has also assisted in stabilizing the exchange rate because the time the exchange rate was even going as far as N500 to the dollar. So it has assisted but it has not addressed the problem permanently because the fact that demand and supply are still regulating the system because the demand seems to be higher and the supply from Central Bank seems to be lower. In this case: the price will continue to fluctuate. That is why despite the fact that the official rate is N306, we have not been able to reflect that in the parallel market because the gap is still very huge from N306 to about N360 or N358. Therefore I think the way forward is to try to see how this gap can be eliminated. If the

    exchange rate can be brought down to 306, in the official level and parallel market level, then the cost of goods and services will also come down.

    Technology is taking over the jobs of humans. This is a big challenge for workers across the globe. At the level of ITUC, what do you think needs to be done?

    ITUC has prioritized three issues: democracy, workers’ rights, and the issue of peace. And the three are inter-related and the level of ITUC we are campaigning for a just transition. Just transition means that even as we progress into the digital world, the issue of workers’ rights must continue to receive the attention it deserves and that workers must continue to have better conditions of service. We’ve looked at the issue of also the new forms of work particularly the digital economy. I’ve seen clearly four companies around the world whose GDP is more than the GDP of the entire African continent, this includes Amazon. The GDP is over $20 trillion which is the GDP of the entire African continent. So clearly, going into the future it’s actually the digital platform that will control the entire world economy. Whereas the average growth in the entire African continent is between 3.5 to 5%.

    During the May Day you talked about unionising the Police, how do you hope to achieve that?

    It’s about our law because in South Africa the police is unionised, in Britain, our colonial master, the Police is unionised, but there was a law that was put in place, if you remember, during Babangida where they said that the paramilitary, including Police…remember we had a union for Customs and Immigrations Service, and even in the report of ILO, that proscription is still being challenged, and ILO has given a verdict that those workers have a right to be unionised.  In a country where even where without a union, the Police has gone on strike, it’s better to organise and unionise them to take their rights and interest.  We’re working on some laws that will allow those categories of workers to be unionised. We can only sleep with our eyes closed if those people are working and progressing. We need to know what are the challenges of insecurity.

    You’re recently re-elected. What would you say this office and the struggled have cost you?

    For us the struggle is our life and NLC is an organization that has a set of rules, a set of standards, and an ideology for a just society and that has been how our leaders have been elected. You must have politics, voters must also have some confidence in you. I’m happy that they have appreciated the little effort we have been making, working under difficult conditions in the past four years. We have done our best to make sure the plight of workers is heard and their issues raised. We have also been on the streets in various platforms to make sure that the workers issue is being given desired attention and that they are partners in progress. I think these are some of the things that the union has seen that made them return me back unopposed.

    Do you subscribe to the idea of part-time legislators?

    Certainly. Politics should not be an occupation. It is a service. Every politician should have something to do, a business. You must be a tested professional in many other jurisdictions. That is how you will understand legality and the importance of the office you have been elected into. But when someone has nothing to do, if elected, they will not be able to understand the importance of that office.

     

     

     

  • I never invited thugs to attack Labour leaders, says Ngige

    Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has denied inviting thugs to attack members of the Nigeria Labour Congress and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas who picketed his residence over his refusal to inaugurate the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).

    The Minister, in a statement by his Special Assistant Media, Nwachukwu Obidiwe accused the leadership of the NLC of leading those he described as strange faces to invade his house.

    The statement said further the invasion of his house left his family members and staff traumatised by the invaders chanting “war songs”.

    The statement reads: “The private residence of the Hon. Minister of labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige was  early this morning (4 a.m.) invaded by the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and his members.

    Read Also: NLC accuses Ngige of resorting to ethnic sentiment

    “These members among whom are tanker drivers, some with ferocious looks, also barricaded the gate to the residence of the Hon. Minister with two long trucks. They chanted war songs and prevented the Hon. Minister, his wife, children and other aides from either leaving or gaining access to the compound.

    “Comrade Wabba later left and returned with re-enforcement .

    “The presence of these strange faces and mounting war songs sent heavy panic on the family members, especially children and female aides who thought the sudden early morning assemblage were of the underworld.

    “Some of these unknown faces and the two tanker lorries blocking the entrance to the house  are still there as I send this press statement .

    “I therefore wish to state that contrary to reports being mischievously circulated in the media by the NLC President, the Hon. Minister, family members who are still in great trauma and his staff members did not invited thugs, have no knowledge of it, or have a hand in the alleged manhandling of any worker.”

     

     

  • NLC to Ngige: inaugurate NSITF Board or else…

    President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Ayuba Wabba has asked the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige to immediately inaugurate the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) with Chief Frank Kokori as chairman or face the wrath of workers.

    Wabba, who spoke at the May Day celebration in Abuja, said there will be no peace for the Minister if he fails to inaugurate the board, as they will no longer allow him to manage the funds of the organisation.

    He said: “We have tolerated Ngige and his antics long enough. From this May Day, we will thenceforth not allow him to toy with the funds of NSITF which are contributions bon behalf of the toiling workers of Nigeria in the private sector.

    “In all our years of dealing with Ministers of the Federal Republic, we have never come across one as dishonest and deceitful as Dr. Ngige.

    “From our account of what has transpired since 2017, it is very obvious that the Minister has been bent on manipulating the situation and bring up one deceit or the other to enable him remain the sole manager of NSITF as long as he remain Minister of Labour and Employment”.

    Details shortly…

  • Anambra NLC gets new leader, cautions some Govs on minimum wage

    The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC in Anambra State, has a new Chairman in the person of Comrade Jerry Nnubia.

    He was unanimously elected at the weekend in Awka ,during the NLC’s delegate conference,  where he cautioned some Governors on the implementation of the new minimum wage .

    Nnubia, called on the Governors in the country to cut down on their spending  to enable them pay the new minimum wage, signed by President Muhammadu Buhari recently

    He said he prayed that some of the Governors would not do anything capable of causing unrest among the workers going by their body language on the new minimum wage.

    Nnubia said full implementation of the 30,000 naira minimum across the country would ensure stability in the polity.

    According to the labour leader, “The minimum wage is a product of negotiation and with the President signing it into law, we are looking out for a circular to be released and each state is bound to implement it”

    “The state governments have no option than to implement it because they were part and parcel of all the negotiations”

    Read Also: Minimum Wage: NLC, TUC laud Buhari

    “For us in Anambra State, we have the firm belief that our governor will implement it fully. He has promised us and I am sure we are not going to have challenges in that regard”

    “We commend the national assembly for the speedy passage of the new national minimum wage (2019) amendment bill and also President Muhammadu Buhari for assenting to it on April 18, 2019″

    “We therefore wish to use this platform to call on the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, NSIWC, to immediately issue out the implementation table to enable our hardworking and labour friendly governor, Chief Willie Obiano, who has already firmly promised to be the first governor to pay the new minimum wage for the hardworking workers of Anambra State, implement the new minimum wage.”

    Furthermore, he spoke on the agitations on labour issues that led to the setting up of a committee headed by the state deputy governor, Dr. Nkem Okeke.

    He regretted that although the committee had since concluded its assignment and submitted its report to the governor, no action had been taken to date.

     

  • Edoka returned as Kogi NLC chairman

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kogi council on Thursday, lamented the condition of workers in the state.

    It deplored a situation where workers in the Kogi State Civil Service beg to feed their families, due to nonpayment of their salaries.

    The state chairman, Comrade Onuh Edoka who was returned for a second term in office, stated this during the 7th quadrennial delegates’ conference in Lokoja.

    According to him, workers are owned between seven to 30 months’ salary arrears by the state government.

    He appealed to the state government to do something urgent to reverse the negative trend.

    The situation, he said, has made it impossible for them to meet their obligations to their dependants.

    He further expressed regret that workers are being owed their leave bonuses, while promotion carried out by the government are cash backed, saying that such promotions only existed on paper.

    He said worse still are the local government workers, who according to him, are being paid ridiculous percentage salaries spanning several years.

    He said that the ministry of local government has become a government of its own.

    While painting a pathetic picture of pensioners in the state, he noted that despite the fact that the retirees do not collect their pensions regularly, several are not even placed on pension list, months and in some cases over one year after retirement.

    He appealed to the state government to pay more attention to the welfare of workers, saying that the screening exercise though, desirable, was responsible for the accumulation of backlogs of salary.

    He called on the Federal Government to release the balance of N30.8 billion bailout fund, to enable the government defray salary arrears owed to workers in the state.

    In his response, Governor Yahaya Bello promised to continue to prioritize the welfare of workers in the state, even as he said that the balance of the bailout fund would be used for payment of salaries only, when released.

    The governor who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Chief Edward Onoja, commended the workers for their support to his administration.

    According, the screening exercise, though painful, has recorded positive results, as unintended beneficiaries have been eliminated from pay rolls of the state.

    He listed other achievements of his administration to include improved security of lives and property, saying that kidnapping and other violent crimes have been reduced to the barest minimum.

    Other achievements according to him include robust healthcare delivery, qualitative education and investments in critical infrastructural development across the three senatorial districts of Kogi state.

    Highlights of the occasion was the election of officials to run the affairs of the union for the next four years.

    Comrade Onuh Edoka and his team were returned unopposed for another four year term of office, while the workers passed a vote of confidence in the team, for purposeful leadership.

  • Okowa reiterates commitment to pay N30,000 minimum wage

    Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has reiterated his government’s commitment to pay workers in the state the N30,000 new minimum wage approved by the Federal Government.

    The governor gave the assurance yesterday while declaring open the state Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Quadrennial Conference in Asaba.

    Okowa, represented by his Special Adviser on SERVICOM and Labour Relations, Mr Mike Okeme, said dialogue remained the best approach to achieving results in any society or institution.

    He appealed to labour unions to sustain the cordial relationship existing in the state.

    The governor thanked the outgoing executives for their cooperation and approach to issues, while urging the incoming to sustain the relationship.

    Okowa said that he would address the workers on the direction his administration would explore on May 1, Workers Day.

    He thanked the workers Union for its support, contributions and understanding that had contributed to the existing peace between the workers and government.

    In a goodwill message, the NLC National President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, urged the state government to immediately implement the new minimum wage for the workers.

    Wabba, represented by Mr Bio Josiah, National President, Medical and Health Workers Union, said that the union would protest any action by government to lay workers off.

    The NLC President also said that organised labour would resist any attempt by the Federal Government to increase pump price of petroleum products.

    “Government should put the refineries in good shape to serve the people,” he said.

    In his address, the outgoing State NLC Chairman, Mr Jonathan Jemireyigbe, thanked the workers for their support, and the government for giving his executives the enabling environment to function.

    He said that under his watch, workers in the state fared well, with salaries and all other entitlements were paid regularly.

  • Ebonyi NLC commends Buhari for signing N30,000 Minimum Wage Bill

    The Nigeria Labour Congress, Ebonyi Chapter has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the N30,000 new minimum wage bill into law.

    Ebonyi NLC Chairman, Mr Leo Nkah, who spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja, said Buhari has proved to be a caring leader.

    NAN recalls that Buhari on Thursday signed the N30,000 new minimum wage bill already passed by the National Assembly.

    Nkah called for quick release of the minimum wage table to enable workers receive the new pay as quickly as possible.

    Read Also: Court sacks Ebonyi Senator, orders fresh poll

    Nkah, who is also, the President, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Ebonyi Chapter, expressed the hope that state governors would not hesitate to pay the new wage to their workers, since it was a collective agreement.

    He also commended the national leadership of organised labour for their doggedness throughout the negotiation for the new national minimum wage.

    Nkah stressed the need to continue the fight especially at the state level, to ensure that states adopt salary table released by relevant government agencies.

    NAN

  • How politicians ruined 2019 elections, by INEC chair, IGP, others

    Politicians and their agents are responsible for the large scale malpractices and widespread violence that marred the 2019 general elections.

    This was the submission of the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu; Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu and President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba among other stakeholders.

    They spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at the Forum of Anti-corruption Situation Room organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA).

    In a keynote address, Yakubu said vote buying and selling have become a source of great worry to the Commission, the Nigerian people and the international community.

    The INEC chair, who was represented by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Mr. Festus Okoye, narrated how politicians and their agents devised various methods to compromise the electoral process.

    According to him, one of the methods employed by the politicians and their agents was to buy up Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) of registered voters in the political “safe haven” of their opponents before the day of election.

    He also accused them of compromising security agents and some ad hoc staff of INEC who looked the other way while votes were being bought and sold.

    Yakubu said some political money bags bought over agents of other political parties who compromised and betrayed their own political parties for money.

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    The INEC chairman also cited situations where voters were made to surrender their PVCs to middlemen as a precondition for assessing government amenities and facilities in their localities.

    “Politicians compromised traditional and religious leaders and community leaders by persuading them to persuade voters in their domains to vote in a particular way.

    “In some instances, they persuaded willing ad hoc staff to abandon the use of Smart Card Readers and provision of social amenities close to Election Day,” Yakubu added.

    The INEC chief charged the various Election Petitions Tribunals to prosecute proven cases of electoral offences pending the establishment of a designated body for that purpose.

    Acting IGP Adamu said police personnel on election duty were constrained by the law, which prevented them from bearing firearms around voting areas.

    The IGP, who was represented by Assistant Inspector General of Police, Mr. Peter Ogunyanwo, said this made it impossible for police personnel on election duties to confront heavily armed political thugs who attacked voters and disrupted voting at polling centres in different parts of the country during the 2019 elections.

    He lamented politicians lacked patriotism, nationalism and the fear of God in their conduct during elections.

    He lamented politicians, who he described as beneficiaries of electoral malpractices, lacked the required will and patriotism to put in place the needed electoral reforms.

    According to him, measures prescribed by law to punish electoral offenders

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