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  • NLC in Kebbi calls for improved working conditions

    The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in Kebbi, on Monday, presented a ten-point demand to the State Government, as part of the workers’ efforts to improve service delivery.

    NAN reports that the theme of the 2017 workers’ day celebration is, “Labour relations in economic recession: an appraisal’’.

    The chairman of the congress, Umar Haladu, who addressed workers at the event in Birnin Kebbi, said the fulfillment of the demands would rejuvenate the civil service and improve standard of living.

    He demanded for the provision of modern equipment to the state owned media house to enhance wider and effective coverage and dissemination of information on government policies and programmes.

    The NLC called for the training and retraining of workers to improve performance, upward review of pension to reflect current salary structure and disbursement of agricultural loan to workers to facilitate farming.

    The union also stressed the need to improve financial allocation to ministries, departments and agencies.

    It called for the payment of the 2017 leave bonus as well as the settlement of outstanding leave bonuses to primary school teachers and the introduction of the housing scheme to workers, similar to the Federal government’s scheme.

    Haladu, however, lauded the government for its prompt payment of salaries, training of personnel and the settlement of 10 years promotion arrears.

    The Deputy Governor, Alhaji Samaila Yombe, who represented Gov. Atiku Bagudu, said the present administration would improve the living condition of the people and implement policies for rapid development.

    He called on the NLC to always adopt dialogue as the best form of dispute resolution.

    A cross section of the workers, expressed the determination to support government’s implementation of policies and programmes and called for improved workers’ welfare.

  • Workers disrupt May Day rally in Abuja

    Workers disrupt May Day rally in Abuja

    Nigerian workers Monday disrupted the May Day rally at the Eagle Square in Abuja forcing the rally to end in chaos without the traditional match pass by labour unions.

    More security had to be drafted into the Eagle Square arena to protect dignitaries invited for the celebration, forming a barricade to prevent the protesters from getting to the invited guest.

    The 2017 May Day celebration attracted the largest crowd of workers in recent years.

    Trouble started when the Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Biola Bawa was called to read the address of the Minister, Senator Chris Ngige who was representing the President.

    Even when the Minister stepped forward to address the workers, they refuse to allow him speak and all efforts to make them return to their seat failed, forcing the minister to return to his seat angrily.

    Some of the workers insisted that if the President could not attend the rally to address them; he would have sent the Vice President instead of the Minister.

    The shout of go back to your seat by the leadership of both the NLC and TUC was greater with a loud no by the workers.

    Efforts by former Edo state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to calm the few workers failed as a few of them who gathered around the podium refused to listen, nor allow the event to continue.

    While many of the workers sat down in their stand watching the development, a few of the workers went round the square chanting no marching, no marching.

    At this stage, the workers who had become tired began to leave the square en-mass, forcing the rally to end in chaos.

    As many of the workers made to leave the arena, the protesting workers took over the podium chanting “we don win, we don win”.

     

  • NLC threatens governors, lawmakers

    NLC threatens governors, lawmakers

    The stage appears set for a clash of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) with governors and lawmakers pushing the bill which seeks to remove the National Minimum Wage from the exclusive to the concurrent legislative list.

    The NLC leadership yesterday threatened to mobilise Nigerians against governors and some National Assembly members.

    NLC President Ayuba Wabba, who spoke with The Nation last night, accused some members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum of sponsoring such an anti-workers’ legislation.

    The bill which scaled through the first reading before the House embarked on Easter recess, is set for second reading on the floor of the House where members will debate on it.

    Wabba, who kicked against fresh moves to “strangulate workers”, who have been frustrated by the lingering socio-economic hardship, said labour would explore every legitimate legal means to protect workers. “We have done in the past and we are going to deplore it,” he said.

    The Congress plans to mobilise its affiliates to campaign against all political office holders linked with anti-workers’ legislations and policies ahead of the 2018 and 2019 general elections.

    Wabba said: “All over the world, minimum wage is on the exclusive list. We are talking about protecting the most vulnerable group, that is the principle and philosophy. It is an ILO core issue under decent work agenda. It is a core ILO issue that all countries are conformed to.

    “So, first is that it is the level of ignorance because he thinks that it is only for the state. No. It is for the self-employed for those that are from the private sector to protect the most vulnerable people from being exploited from false labour and slavery. That is why minimum wage law is there.

    “It is a core ILO convention and in many countries of the world, including capitalist economy. As capitalist as the United Stated (U.S.) is, they have a minimum wage law.

    “So, we must first understand the concept. It is not the state government. It is all employers of labour generally, both private and public. So, for public sector, who fixes their own? That is why it is a tripartite issue. I think that there is a level of ignorance he has demonstrated in this without even knowing what minimum wage law is all about.

    “First, we condemn it in its entirety. We are going to respond immediately and effectively. Two, let him also go back to the archives. This issue was introduced even by some cabals within the Governors’ Forum at the last constitution amendment and it was defeated.

    “It went to a referendum and it was defeated. So, we should start from where we stopped and not to take us back to areas we have actually advanced on.”

    Wabba said that millions of Nigerians who are self-employed and those working in the private sector will be subjected to undue exploitation if the national minimum wage is removed from the exclusive list to the concurrent list.

    “Who will regulate the case of the self-employed; for instance now, you are self-employed, you are not working under either the state or the federal government where you can even negotiate.

    “So, the implication is that once you remove that from the exclusive list, workers will be exploited. We are not even talking of the maximum, we are talking about the minimum.

    “Assuming the alteration bill sells through in the National Assembly, what will organised labour, especially the leadership of the NLC, do? It will not said through because we will stop it at all cost. Nigerian workers will not accept this.

    “The proponent of the bill, Ayeola Abayomi Abdulkadir (APC-Lagos), seeks to alter the Second Schedule, Part 1 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) by deleting item 34 from the exclusive legislative list and renumbering the existing item 35 as item 34 and subsequent items accordingly.”

    Also yesterday, the President, United Labour Congress (ULC), Mr. Joe Ajaero, said moves to remove minimum wage from the exclusive to concurrent legislative list would be protested.

    Speaking at the pre-2017 May Day seminar organised by ULC, in Lagos, Ajaero described  the move is ill-motivated to deny workers their right to live well which is what some of the governors have been advocating but we will mobilise against them.

    He said that if the planned delisting of wages from the exclusive legislative list succeeds, the country would no longer have a national minimum wage.

    Ajaero said: “It means that each state of the federation will be empowered to legislate and arrive at what should be their respective minimum.’’

    The current N18, 000 minimum wage became effective in 2011 and subject to a review every five years.

    Labour has been agitating for a review since last year citing hyperinflation and the devaluation of the Naira.

  • Pensioners are suffering, says NLC

    Pensioners are suffering, says NLC

    The Nigeria Labour Congress  (NLC) has said pensioners are suffering because of the inability of the  Federal Government to remit accrued pension funds of its retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme(CPS), which came into force in 2004.

    It warned that the future of the CPS was under threat if the government did not move fast to remit the cash.

    Speaking at the congress of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, said the CPS was being threatened by the non-compliance of its major stakeholders, especially employers.

    He decried the prevailing situation whereby retirees under the scheme  suffer alot of hardship to access their funds.

    According to him, if the challenges in the scheme were not addressed, the scheme would hit the rocks soon.

    Ayuba said: “Issues of payment of benefit in Nigeria have become a nightmare. This needs to be addressed.”

    NUP President, Dr. Abel Afolayan, highlighted some of the challenges confronting the scheme.

    He said the failure of the Federal Government to release funds had  made pensioners to suffer deprivation, lamenting that no retiree had been paid since October 2015.

    Many next of kin of deceased pensioners, he said, had not been able to access the entitlements of their relations, and that this has made life unbearable for the beneficiaries.

    He said: “Many organisations of government and employers have been defaulting on the regular remittances of contributions of workers to their pension fund administrators; this is affecting the philosophy of the scheme.

    “Non-compliance with Section 173 (3) and Section 210 (3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and section 15 of the 2014 Pension Reform Act (as amended) stipulates that pension shall be reviewed after every five years  or whenever workers salaries are reviewed, whichever one that is earlier. Non-compliance with the provisions of this law by government has made the contributory pensioners lose 15 per cent pension increase of 2007 and 33 per cent increase in 2010.”

  • New Ebonyi NLC leadership assures workers of purposeful leadership

    THE new leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Ebonyi has assured workers that the union would protect their interest and insist on enhancement of workers’ welfare. The Acting Chairman, Mr Leo Nkah, spoke on Thursday in Abakaliki at a pre-May Day Rally, with the theme: : `Repositioning NLC for enhanced workers’ benefit.’ Nkah became the acting chairman following the removal of Mr Ikechukwu Nwafor, who was accused of abuse of office and financial related offences. Nkah said that the purpose of the rally was to interact directly with the members since the inception of his administration. He also said that the event was mainly to interface with workers and intimate them on what to expect from the new NLC leadership.

    “Since the change of leadership in NLC, all that people have been hearing are through third party medium. “We decided to use the rally to interface with workers, talk with them and give them hope on what we can achieve from the state government, that has not been possible before now, ” Nkah noted. Nkah assured workers of rapid response and implementation of their welfare shortly after Easter celebration. Gov. David Umahi, on his part urged workers to exercise patience as his administration was committed to enhancing their welfare.

    Umahi, represented by Mrs Grace Chukwu, Senior Special Assistant on Labour Matters, promise to review workers’ needs such as salaries, leave allowances and promotions. “We will review workers’ salaries, leave allowance and promotion; government requires workers’ patience, ” he noted. Members of the affiliate unions of NLC participated in the rally. Some of the members carried placards with inscription affirming the support to the new NLC leadership. Some of the placards read: “ Nkah is our hero,’’ “No more exploitation of workers,’’ Thank God we are out of Egypt,’’ among others. It will be recalled that Nwafor was removed after a State Council Meeting of the NLC. A communiqué issued after the meeting accused Nwafor of failure to account for all monthly stipend and subventions received on behalf of the congress from the state government and other sources on money.

  • Nasarawa NLC decries salaries delay, lack of promotion

    The Nasarawa State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has decried the “unnecessary delays” in the payment of salaries to civil servants in the state.

    The NLC also expressed disgust that no worker had been promoted “in the last six years”.

    Mr Abdullahi Adeka, NLC Chairman in the state, voiced the workers’ concerns at the 4th Quadrennial State Delegates Conference of Nasarawa State Chapter of the Association of Senior Civil Servant of Nigeria (ASCSN), in Lafia.

    The NLC Chairman, who was represented by Yusuf Sarki-Iya, the Treasurer, said that such delays had subjected workers to lots of hardship.

    “The situation is appalling; government will just deliberately delay salaries for up to four months before they pay for one month.

    “Another issue of concern is that no worker in Nasarawa State has been promoted in the last six years.

    “Also, no worker has been given annual increment and there has been no attention to staff development in terms of training, in the last six years,” he added.

    He said that government was killing the civil service by categorising it into two – senior and junior civil servants – and explained that stagnation had stalled carrier progression, created a vacuum and wiped out the middle cadre.

    Adeka regretted that outstanding salaries, pensions and gratuities had not been paid in spite of the Paris Club Refund that came with a categorical instruction that the payments be effected.

    “Government recently released N300 million for the payment of gratuity of some retirees, but the money is grossly insufficient and certainly not up to half of the Paris Club Refund,” he said.

    Also speaking, Mr Gabriel Agbashi of the Trade Union Congress, rejected suggestions that Nasarawa was poor and lacked sufficient money to meet its obligations.

    “The only problem in Nasarawa State is that government does not consider workers’ welfare as its priority. We work in this state and have all records on how much is in the coffers of the state,” he said.

    He urged government to pay salaries promptly and also promote civil servants to avoid stagnation that had lowered morale.

    Responding, Mr Thomas Ogiri, Nasarawa State Head of Service, urged patience from the workers.

    “Government is working hard to improve workers’ welfare. The workers should just exercise some patience,” he said.

    He said that government had always carried NLC leaders along, saying that all actions were usually based on agreement reached with labour.

  • NLC backs Amnesty International to defend the weak

    NLC backs Amnesty International to defend the weak

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has pledged to support Amnesty International Nigeria in defending the rights of the vulnerable in the society.

    Its President, Ayuba Wabba, stated this during a solidarity visit to Amnesty International (AI) in Abuja.

    The NLC also condemned the protest against AI by a group, Global Peace and Rescue Initiative (GOPRI), asking the AI to leave the country.

    The group claimed that an Amnesty report that accused the Nigerian Army of extra-judicial killings was false. Several civil society groups have since condemned GOPRI and pledged support for AI.

    Wabba said this had become imperative as rights of Nigerians, especially vulnerable groups such as women, children and the less privileged, were being trampled upon.

    “I want to assure you of the support of the NLC and the working class because as workers, our rights have been trampled upon several times. You are aware of the fact that across the states, salaries, pension and gratuity are not being paid as at when due. This is a violation of the rights of workers,” Wabba said.

    He, therefore, said the NLC needed to stand side by side with organisations like AI to continue to protect the most vulnerable groups against the powerful and the rich in the society.

    “We have documented some of these challenges that our people have gone through,” Wabba said, adding that the NLC would continue to partner AI in the fight for social justice, anti-corruption, good governance, accountability and in the dignity of the human beings.

    The NLC President condemned GOPRI’s protest at AI’s Abuja office on March 21, saying that the AI was an organisation known globally and had worked extensively on human rights in many countries.

    “For such issues to arise, especially the hiring of people to come and protest in this office is something that we condemn as organised labour. I really sympathise with you on what has happened.

    “Nigerians are already aware that this was a sponsored protest. It is something that is condemnable. We should not allow those business persons that have actually privatised protest as means of getting money to continue in the business,” Achese added.

    He assured that the NLC would not stop the struggle to ensure better life for the workforce, adding that it would continue to collaborate with the organised labour to carry out humanitarian services.

    Chairman Trustee, Amnesty International Nigeria, Auwal Rafasanjani, commended the NLC for the solidarity visit.

    Rafasanjani said the AI was a reputable organisation that works on accountability.

  • Corruption still thriving, says NLC

    Corruption still thriving, says NLC

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has lamented that despite the noise aboutanti-graft war, corruption continues to thrive in the country.

    It said the executive and the legislative arms of government weighed on the scale have performed below expectation.

    Speaking with The Nation, its President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, lamented that while the citizens continue to groan under hardship, public officials live large.

    Wabba, who spoke on several burning national issues, particularly took up the National Assembly, which he described as a “criminal enterprise.”

    He threatened that the organised labour would picket the National Assembly and other institutions that are failing in their responsibilities to Nigerians.

    Wabba said President Muhammadu Buhari needed to give his anti-graft crusade a better face, by making accountability, transparency and rule of law his watchwords.

    He said this was necessary because bad governance was thriving in Nigeria.

    He said: “The government must know that it is not only workers that are suffering, but ordinary citizens who depend on the workers, are suffering immensely.

    “For this reason, we shall picket the institutions that make up government one after the other; after the Presidency, we are facing the National Assembly.

    “So long as they are not living up to their responsibilities, we will make it very difficult for them to continue in the criminal enterprise they call the National Assembly. So, we demand ac­countability, we demand due process.”

    He lamented that Nigerians are going through serious challenges more than before, adding that these challenges are compounded by the total absence of good governance, accountability, transparency and rule of law.

  • NLC seeks probe of N388bn first tranche of London-Paris Club cash to govs

    NLC seeks probe of N388bn first tranche of London-Paris Club cash to govs

    The President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Ayuba Wabba, has called on the Federal Government to beam its searchlight on corruption on state governors to ascertain whether the first tranche of N388 billion London-Paris Club fund released to them in December last year was spent for what it was meant for.

    He made this call yesterday during the 4th quadrennial national delegates’ conference of Maritime Workers Union in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.

    According to him, with the second tranche of the money about to be released, the government at the centre should muster the will to audit states to ensure that the first release was judiciously spent for the settlement of outstanding salaries, pension and gratuity.

    He threatened that labour was waiting on the wings to start aggressive agitation to draw Federal Government’s attention to the fact that corruption must be fought at all levels, including the states.

    The NLC boss called on employers of labour at all levels to see workers as partners in progress, a people that create wealth, not as liability.

    His words: “What we are saying is that let the government also muster the will to make sure that the first tranch that was released is accounted for, because there were controversies that N19 billion was diverted by the Governor’s Forum.

    “Outside the goodwill to make this funds available, the issue of transparency and accountability in governance, which is lacking in some states, must be pursued.

    “Government must be proactive to ensure that government at the centre is able to be on top of this situation and demand accountability.

    “We are going to start our agitation very seriously and rigorously to the fact that if you are fighting corruption, it must be at all levels.

    “It must scale down to the states. They must continue to see workers as partners in progress; as people that create wealth and notliabilities.

    “Therefore, workers’ right must be given priority. If not, we won’t have social stability, cohesion and we will not go out of recession.”

    On the economic recession in the country, he described it as man made, saying that it would take a focused leader to put things right as, according to him, the country’s economy was mismanaged by past government.

    He said: “If the economy was mismanaged by people, it will take the act of people to put the economy back on track. You will not expect God in heaven to come to correct what we have done.

    “It will take good leaders with focus, transparency and accountability to be able to address the situation.”

  • NLC to Fed Govt: expedite action on minimum wage

    NLC to Fed Govt: expedite action on minimum wage

    The President, Nigeria Labour Congres (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, has said Labour may be forced to take action on the issue of mnimum wage. He said this administration was dragging its feet in constituting a tripartite committee as is the practice to negotiate a new minimum wage.

    Wabba said with  the harsh economic realities and their impact on workers Labour could not wait indefinitely for the government to respond at its own time.

    “We have since submitted a request for an upward review of the National Minimum Wage which was signed into law in 2011 by President Goodluck Jonathan, by the administration. Despite that the minimum wage was due for renegotiation after five years, the current administration is dragging its feet in constituting a tripartite committee as is the practice to negotiate a new minimum wage.

    “Though we have been told by the administration that the panel will be constituted, we enjoin the government to urgently sort out whatever is the constraint it is facing and act on the matter before we are forced to take actions that may be unpleasant,” Wabba said.

    He said in the last 12 months, the inflation rate had gone over the roof, and the masses, the salaried and the teeming millions of the unemployed, were facing very difficult times.

    He said amid these difficulties, the union had contended with a number of state governments  that had misplaced priorities and regularly refused to pay workers  their salaries as and when due.

    “Similarly pension of retired public servants have gone for several months, and in some cases, years unpaid.  We have over the last 15 months fought these state governments to pay up these outstanding wages and pension liabilities they owe workers.  We will continue to do this till all salaries and pensions across the country are fully paid up,” he said.

    On women empowerment and gender equality, Wabba called for the full implementation of gender equity policy by organisations.

    He said almost 15 years after the adoption of the policy, it was appropriate to talk about consolidating its gains.

    He said the NLC gender equity policy had enabled the Congress and virtually all its affiliates to have increased women representation at the level of leadership in their structures.

    He said: “To ensure that these changes are sustainable, the NLC constitution and that of affiliate unions were amended to ensure the inclusion of women representations at leadership levels.’’

    “At the NLC level, not only is the Chairperson of the National Women Commission now automatically a vice president of the NLC, in the 2007 delegates Conference of the Congress, two ex-officio positions were created at the level of National Administrative Council (NAC) of NLC, to be occupied by women.”