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Tag: NLC

  • NLC, TUC alert Fed Govt to new trade union

    NLC, TUC alert Fed Govt to new trade union

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have alerted  the Federal Government to the existence of a new labour union.

    Their letter dated January 19,  was signed by the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and his TUC counterpart, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama.

    Titled: Need to avert anarchy in the industrial relations system in the country: Mushroom/Shell trade unions and addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, the two leaders  said they were constrained to bring the issue to the minister’s attention because of the damage the new union could cause to the labour movement.

    They said the new union’s  leaders, after failing in their bid to lead the NLC, following the successful conduct of the rescheduled election at the 10th delegates’ conference of the congress last March, set up the union.

    The letter reads in part: “Some of our colleagues have been making concerted efforts to destabilise the industrial relations space in the country. This started with the effort to fractionalise the NLC, which failed after almost two years of trying. In their desperation, they have now purported to float a new trade union centre with the name United Labour Congress of Nigeria. In the last couple of months, they have collected forms for the registration of dozens of some trade unions without membership.’’

    It said all the unions being wooed by the splinter faction are  adequately covered by existing unions.

    “One expects that people who operate at our level will know the relevant provisions of the Trade Union Act, but perhaps we are assuming too much. The Trade Union Act CAP T14, LFN, 2004, Section 3(2) provides thus: “But no trade union shall be registered to represent workers or employers in a place where there already exist a trade union,” the letter said.

  • NLC to Fed Govt: enact law to protect whistleblowers

    NLC to Fed Govt: enact law to protect whistleblowers

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday asked the Federal Government to put in place laws that will protect whistleblowers, if the fight against corruption is to succeed.
    Its President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, spoke while addressing members of the Joint Health Sector Union, who were picketing the Federal Ministry of Health.
    He said it was unfortunate that while the government was promising to reward whistleblowers, those who have come forward with information were being prosecuted.
    Wabba accused Minister of State for Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire of fragrantly undermining the civil service rules and protecting the Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, who was accused of corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
    He said while the civil service rules stipulate that any public officer accused of offence must give way for proper investigation to be carried out, “the medical director was being protected and allowed to remain in office while being tried for fraud on an 18-count charge by the EFCC”.
    The NLC President said while judges indicted for corruption have been asked to step aside while their trial last, the medical director was allowed to remain in office, alleging that she was using her position to victimise those who reported her to the EFCC.
    He said labour was not only fighting corruption, but impunity in the Federal Medical Centre and the Federal Ministry of Health.
    Wabba assured the health workers that the organised labour would keep supporting their agitation.
    He said through the activities of whistleblowers, the government was able to recover $9.8 million from a single individual, noting that the protest would continue until the minister of state respects the law and do the right thing.
    The NLC President said while the medical director remains in office, she has ordered the removal of the names of the whistleblowers from the payroll of the Federal Medical Centre, stressing that that “democracy can only thrive where there is transparency”.
    Wabba said: “No worker who is a whistleblower will be allowed to be punished. We will continue this advocacy until the right thing is done.”
    He, however, announced a suspension of the protest for three days to give the permanent secretary and the ministry official’s ample opportunity to address issues raised and get back to them.
    He said if the ministry failed to address the issues raised within the three days, workers would be mobilised to protest both at the ministry and in the house of the minister of state, who supervises the Federal Medical Centres.

  • NLC chair warns SSANU against incessant strike

    The Chairman of the Imo State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Austin Chilakpu, has warned labour unions to conduct their affairs in tandem with the laws as enshrined in the constitution of the nation.

    He said that the unions, including the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) are not above the law.

    Chilakpu, who spoke when the newly-elected executive of SSANU, Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) chapter, visited him in his office in Owerri, stressed that “unions must exhaust all available peaceful means of resolving issues before taking up arms against government institutions”.

    The Labour leader added that the aim of labour unions is not to fight the government but rather to work on improving the welfare of the workers.

    He charged the SSANU leaders to use their election as representatives of the members to build themselves and earn the trust of the people, adding that “every labour leader must lead by example”.

    Chilakpu also advised SSANU members and FUTO management to close ranks and cooperate with the new executive, adding that “there are no elections without skirmishes”.

    In his speech, the SSANU Chairman, Comrade Franklin Matthews, said that the leaders visited to pledge their loyalty to the NLC Chairman.

    He commended the NLC for its role in the SSANU election.

    Mathews disclosed that the SSANU Executive since its inauguration had been building bridges in the institution.

    Also speaking, Matthews’ predecessor, Mrs Loveth Ekwemalor, who was among the delegation, thanked the NLC Chairman for his support during her tenure, while imploring him to extend similar gesture to her successor.

  • NLC to Buhari: Nigerians can’t afford one good meal a day

    NLC to Buhari: Nigerians can’t afford one good meal a day

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday urged the Federal Government to end the woes of Nigerians.
    The labour body said Nigerians, even the working class, cannot longer afford one good meal per day as a result of lack of good governance which has led to non payment of salaries and pensions across states.
    The NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, who spoke at a news conference in Abuja, said it was unfortunate that several states have not prioritised the welfare of their workers and are owing salaries.
    He added that the Congress, in conjunction with the Trade Union Congress (TUC), was organising a mass rally in Lagos and Abuja to press home their demand for good governance.
    He said: “We thought that we should canvass for the issue of good governance because despite the Paris Club refund to some of the states, many of them have not done well in making sure that workers interest is given the priority it deserve.
    “Some of the states have done their best to ensure that the liability of salaries and pensions is paid as and when due. For example, in Bauchi, about 90 percent of those funds was fund to defray salaries and pension. For now, the best example we have is the case of Jigawa where they don’t have liability of pension and salaries as well as gratuity.
    “In most of the states, gratuity is building up and it is a very important component of the benefit of the worker. In some states, we have gratuity running into about 77 months.
    “The worst case scenario is Imo State where gratuity and pension is in arrears of 77 months and the governor has contemplated saying those pensioners who have not earned their pension for 77 months will be paid in percentage. He proposed 60 percent which the pensioners have rejected.
    “We have also tried to go to those states and see how we can assist those pensioners. This portends a lot of danger and challenge because in some states, they don’t look at payment of salaries as a priority. I remember one of the governors saying he was not elected to pay salaries.
    “But he also knows that his predecessor lost office because he could not pay salaries and at the time he took over, there was liability of three months which have now increased to six months.
    “These are the challenges and we think that we must situate all these things in the campaign for good governance and try to see how our political elites get their priorities right.
    “We realised from the data we have that it is not about how much those states earn, but how transparent the process is in those states. Some states receive less and yet don’t have liabilities of salaries and pension, while some receive so much and yet have not given priority to the payment of salaries, pension and gratuity of workers.
    “So, side by side with our quest for a review of minimum wage, it is important for us to engage the process and get the people on the same page on the issue of campaign for good governance and also the issue of corruption.
    “Basically, whether we like it or not, corruption will continue to fight back and except we wage a serious war, it is not going to be easy for us to defeat those forces that have been part of the problem.
    “It is not about resources, but getting our priorities right and that is why you discovered things have not improved in some of those states, but there are states receiving less but have gotten their priorities right and those challenges are being addressed.
    “This rally will encompass all issues, including the issue of minimum wage, anti-corruption because good governance is about having a system where the rule of law will be respected, where collective agreement will be respected and the right of citizens, particularly the working class receive appropriately attention. It also include the payment of salaries.
    “Side by side with this is the fact that the fight against corruption is NLC limited to the centre. In the states and local governments, we still have people behaving as if nothing is happening.”
    That is why we think that these issues should be placed along side core labour issues and other national issues.

     

  • Unpaid salaries, pensions: NLC, TUC to launch mass action

    Unpaid salaries, pensions: NLC, TUC to launch mass action

    The organised  labour says it has concluded plans to commence a series of mass actions against those states that are owing workers’  salaries,   pensions  and gratuities in the country.

    The President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Ayuba Wabba, stated this at a news conference in Abuja on Monday.

    Wabba said that the mass action would be done in collaboration with the Trade Union Congress (TUC) as part of the initiatives to make the mass action a successful one.

    The NLC president said the action had become necessary to demonstrate the anger of the workers over the insensitive dispositions of the affected states.

    He said that the affected states, apart from receiving several bailout grants from the Federal Government, also got substantial funds from the Paris Club refunds.

    “In spite of the Paris Club refunds to some of the states, some of them are not making efforts to ensure that workers interest is given the priority it deserved.

    “Gratuity in most of the states are also building up, we have liability of gratuity ranging between seven months and some 77 months.

    “The worst-case scenario is Imo, where we have liability of gratuity of 77 months with pensions.

    Wabba said that the Imo government had contemplated paying the pensioners 60 per cent of their 77 months’ pension arrears which the pensioners had rejected.

    According to Wabba, some states receive less but they do not have liability of salaries and pensions while some receive much but have accumulated liabilities.

    He said that the organised labour would also hold a one-day rally on good governance and anti-corruption campaign.

    Wabba said that the rally would be held at the instance of the NLC and the TUC.

    The NLC president said that the rally would be held on Feb. 9, in Lagos and Abuja simultaneously.

    He said that the rally, which was supposed to be held initially on Feb. 7, 2017, was shifted to Feb. 9.

    NAN reports that the rally had become an annual event of the organised labour to canvass for good governance and anti-corruption crusade in the country.

    “We must canvass for good governance and fight against corruption because some state governments are not doing the needful as it concerns workers.

    “The Nigeria’s Labour Movement has been contemplating on how to move against those states owing workers and pensioners.

    “This portrays a lot of danger and challenges basically because, in some of those states, they do not look at the issue of workers’ salaries, among others as a priority.

    “So, the whole essence of the rally for good governance is to see that our political elite get their priority right.

    “It is in this context that the NLC and the TUC are going to undertake a second round of campaign for good governance and the fight against corruption.

    “ We realise from the data we have  that  it is not about how much those states earn, but it is  about how transparent the process is in those states.’’

    He said that the rally was also a quest for the new minimum wage for workers in the country.

    “Basically, whether we like it or not, corruption will continue to fight back, except we the working class and others come together to defeat those forces. Nobody will help us,’’ he said.(NAN)

  • NLC to Ngige: we won’t stop warning strike

    NLC to Ngige: we won’t stop warning strike

    THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has insisted that workers will keep using warning strikes as part of their engagement with employers, including the Federal Government.

    Its stance is contrary to a statement credited to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, that warning strikes were not known to the labour law.

    A statement by NLC General Secretary Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson in Abuja said although warning strikes were not part of labour laws, unions over the years and across climes use warning strike as a bargaining device to bring recalcitrant employers or social partners to the negotiating table.

    The congress said warning strikes by workers had acquired the force of law, adding that their efficacy could not be in doubt.

    NLC added that it was the reason the government, led by the minister, decided to negotiate with the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) leaders.

    It emphasised that warning strikes have had the distinguishing feature of saving parties to disputes the rigours, costs and pains of full-blown strikes, wondering why the “minister is now canvassing an extreme and intolerant position that is not in line with the spirit of dialogue”.

  • NLC to Ngige:We are taken aback by your outburst

    NLC to Ngige:We are taken aback by your outburst

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has decried the statement by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige over the outlaw of the warning strike and to invoke the clause no work no pay.

    In a statement signed by the General Secretary, NLC, Comrade Dr Peter Ozo-Eson, the NLC said it was taken aback by the minister’s comments, saying that warning strike is use as a bargaining device to bring to the negotiable table.

    “Our attention has been drawn to the threat by the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige to outlaw warning strike and to  invoke the clause of “no work no pay” in the  event of the use of  warning strike in the future as according to him, warning strike is not known to Labour Laws.

    “We are taken aback by the claims of the Honourable Minister. “Accordingly, we find it necessary to state that whether warning strike is in the corpus of the  Nigerian Labour Laws or not,  unions over the years across all climes use warning strike as a bargaining device to bring to the negotiating table, recalcitrant employers or social partners,” the union stated.

    The union said the efficacy of warning strike cannot be in doubt as it is reason why the government, led by the Honourable Minister himself is now negotiating with ASUP executives.

    Ozo-Eson said in the annals of labour history, warning strikes have had the distinguishing feature of saving the parties to disputes the rigours, costs and pains of full-blown strikes.

    The statement said: “Why then would the Honorable Minister be canvassing a position that is at once extreme and intolerant of further dialogue which is the mainstay of Labour-Government relations!

    “We find it necessary to caution that a hasty resort to legalese as a basis for conflict resolution will not be helpful.

    “However, the truth of the matter is that if strikes are guaranteed by the law, we do not see how warning strikes can be illegal. We do not intend to resort to unnecessary pedantism, but quite often, a literal interpretation of the law falls short of the intendment of the law”.

    He said the warning strikes will continue to be part of their engagement with all employers including government, when necessary.

     

  • Labour demands resignation of Health Minister

    Labour demands resignation of Health Minister

    Organised Labour made up of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has called for the resignation of the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, accusing him of working against government policy to protect whistle blowers who expose corruption in the country.
    Leaders of the two Labour Centres spoke in Abuja when they led members of organised Labour to picket the Federal Ministry of Health over the reinstatement of the Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, Dr. Angela Uwakem who is currently been tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
    President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba also called for the reinstatement of over 200 workers of the hospital whose names was delisted from the IPPIS on the order of the Medical Director.
    Wabba said that organised Labour will continue to occupy the Federal Ministry of Health until the Minister of State who supervises the Federal Medical Centres and is allegedly currently sitting on the recommendations on the allegation against the Medical Director.
    He said: “We will occupy this office until the Federal Government moves in and until the whistle blowers whose names have been removed from the pay roll are recalled because the whistle blowers are also the people that will testify in court
    “The document has made it very clear that they reported this case, investigation have gone on and she has been charged officially to court and she has hired a senior Advocate of Nigeria with government money. Is that not a contradiction?.
    Speaking in the same vein, President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Bobboi Bala Kaigama said they want the minister to resign because he is deeply involved in the heart of corruption.
    Kaigama said “They say he who covers corruption is corrupt. So today, we stand to march against corruption. We start this sometime last year and we are also going to declare another day to work against corruption of February.
    “We have started this and it will never stop. If any officer, elected or appointed feels he or she wants to corruptly enriched himself, we are prepare to follow you anywhere until there is a change in that person and the country.”
    Also speaking at the protest,  President, Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Josiah Biobelemoye said that there was a rumor that it was Mr President that ordered that the alleged corrupt CMD of Owerri should not be relieved of her appointment.
    “But we have found out it was not true,  Mr President was not even aware of the whole issue concerning Dr Uwakem. We want to plead with Mr President that even if he had said such a thing, it could be that he was not given the proper brief of the situation of the FMC, Owerri.
    “If we all want the Federal Ministry of Health to succeed in the fight against corrupt in the Public Service, the rules must be obey”, he said.

  • NLC, TUC picket ministry in Calabar

    NLC, TUC picket ministry in Calabar

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Cross River State yesterday picketed the Ministry of Local Government Affairs and the Office of the Head of Service (HoS).

    This followed the non-payment of eight months‘ salaries of local government workers and primary school teachers.

    NLC Chairman Mr. John Ushie told reporters at the Ministry of Finance in Calabar the picketing became necessary because they had exhausted all avenues for settlement.

    According to him, if picketing fails to yield result, labour will embark on strike.

    Ushie said the state engaged a consultant, who carried out personnel audit and tagged some civil servants as ‘ghost workers.’

    He said the development resulted in the stoppage of their salaries.

    “As I speak, there are council workers and primary school teachers who have not received salaries since last June.

    “We discover a lot of our colleagues are dying, while some are becoming bed-ridden. They can no longer perform roles as parents because they don’t receive salaries.

    “How can you tag someone who is qualified and has been working for close to 20 years a ghost worker when he is present at work everyday?

    “The consultant is the major cause of our problem and he must leave.

    “We are not against audit, but they should bring a firm that can do the job creditably.

    “If nothing is done after this exercise, we shall review our stand and embark on strike because an injury to one is an injury to all,’’ the chairman said.

    Ushie said labour was not against personnel audit, but insisted the job of the consultant must end at screening.

    He said the consultant should not be involved in the payment of civil servants’ salaries.

    TUC Chairman Mr. Clarkson Otu said it was sad for a dedicated worker not to be paid for eight months.

    Efforts to reach the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs and the HoS, Mr. John Ulafo and Mr. Ekpeyong Henshaw, were not successful.

    They neither picked calls nor replied text messages.

  • NLC urges FG to stop killings in Southern Kaduna

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the Federal Government to stop the killings in Southern Kaduna.

    NLC President Mr Ayuba Wabba made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.

    Wabba described the situation in Southern Kaduna as “unfortunate’’ and “something that is of concern’’.

    He said: “It is really (an) unfortunate situation and clearly it demonstrates the fact that good governance is not in place, because for us organised labour, it is something that is of concern.

    “The issue of southern Kaduna was actually addressed at a point in time.

    “There was a particular administration that was able to find a solution around this issue and suddenly peace actually returned to that part of Nigeria.

    “But this issue is resurfacing, which means we are not actually getting it right.

    “Therefore, it is high time those gladiators did things that will be in the interest of the citizens.

    “Whatever argument is playing out now would not actually address the issue until our leaders take full responsibility to be able to fix and address the issue and anything short of that is failure.

    “Governance is about responsibility; the primary purpose of governance anywhere in the world is security, peace of the people.’’ (NAN)