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  • NLC set to shut six banks for sacking workers

    NLC set to shut six banks for sacking workers

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday threatened to shut the six banks that sacked their workers.

      The umbrella union gave the affected banks two weeks’ ultimatum to recall the sacked workers and allow unionisation.

    The action has pitched the organised labour against employers of labour, with the umbrella body of the employers, the Nigeria Employers Consultative Assembly, saying the government had no right to tell banks not to sack workers.

    Organised labour also threatened to picket the banks, if they did not halt the mass sack of workers, accusing them of disallowing unionisation and reneging on the principles of collective bargaining.

    NLC, in a letter to the management of the banks, which was signed by its Deputy General Secretary, Chris Uyot, said it would be forced to close the banks and their branches, if they failed to recall the affected workers.

    The affected banks are: Fidelity Bank, Diamond Bank, First City Monument Bank, First Bank, Ecobank and Skye Bank.

    The letter reads: “I have been directed to inform you that it has been brought to our notice by our affiliate union – the National Union of Banks, Insurance, and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE) – that your bank is one of those that arbitrarily sacked workers recentoy, contrary to laid down procedures and the country’s extant labour laws.

    “Also of concern has been that these blatant retrenchments were carried out without recourse to several correspondences, including letters and circulars sent to you by the union to retrace your steps in line with best practices in labour relations and laws of the land…”

  • NLC to shut banks for sacking workers

    NLC to shut banks for sacking workers

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday threatened to shut down the six banks that recently sacked their workers, giving the affected banks two weeks ultimatum to recall the sacked workers and allow unionization.

    The workers’ sack has already pitched labour against employers of labour in the country with the umbrella body of the employers, the Nigeria Employers Consultative Assembly, saying the government has no right to ask the banks not to sack workers.

    Labour on its part threatened to picket the banks if they fail to halt the mass sack of workers, accusing them of not allowing unionization and reneging on the principles of collective bargaining.

    In a letter to the management of the six banks and signed by its Deputy  General Secretary, Chris Uyot, the NLC said  labour will be forced to close the banks and their branches nationwide if they fail to recall the affected workers.

    The affected banks are – Fidelity Bank, Diamond Bank, First City Monument Bank, First Bank, Ecobank and Skye Bank.

    The letter to one of the affected banks management reads: “I have been directed to inform you that, it has been brought to our notice by our affiliate union, the National Union of Banks, Insurance, and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE) that your bank is one of those that have arbitrarily sacked a large number of workers in recent times contrary to laid down procedures and the country’s extant labour laws.

    “Also, of concern has been that these blatant retrenchments were carried out without recourse to several correspondence, including letters and circulars sent to you by the union to retrace your steps in line with best practices in labour relations and laws of the land.

    “By this letter, we are giving your bank 14 days  ultimatum commencing  from Thursday, 16th June, 2016 to recall all the sacked workers or face industrial action, which  may include ensuring that your bank and all its outlets are closed for business nationwide. While looking forward to your honouring our request, please, accept our goodwill and best regards.”

  • Oyo Workers protest govt planned privatisation of public schools

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

  • NLC mobilises workers for ‘mega rally’ in Ibadan today

    •Oyo SDP wades into labour/govt dispute

    THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) will hold “a mega rally” today in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to drive home workers’ demands.

    Its National Deputy President, Kiri Mohammed Shuaibu, said this yesterday while addressing the union’s members at the NLC Secretariat in Ibadan.

    The workers embarked on an indefinite strike a week ago to demand the immediate withdrawal of “trump-up charges” levelled against some incarcerated labour leaders and to force the state government to rescind its decision to sell public schools, among others.

    The union leader, who vowed that no amount of intimidation from the government would make them to call off the strike without getting their demands, urged workers to assemble at the secretariat by 7:30am today.

    He said: “We are civil servants. We don’t have anything to fight. We are fighting because we are hungry. We are fighting because we have not been paid for six months. We don’t have the strength or the ability to fight because we are hungry. We have not been paid for the past six months. We just want to show government that we are poor and hungry.

    “We wrote a letter to the government requesting for dialogue, but the government shut its doors against NLC. We are now open for dialogue and negotiation. We have no arms. We don’t carry anything. If the police, Directorate of State Service (DSS) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Oyo State cannot protect our lives while doing our legitimate peaceful protest, it is going to be a story in the world.”

    Warning against violence during the rally, he said any sponsored hoodlums, who may attempt to disrupt the rally, would be arrested.

    A political party in Oyo State, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), yesterday waded into the labour and the government crisis.

    The party appealed to Governor Abiola Ajimobi to thread gently over the proposed new education policy in the interest of the poor masses and the children.

    It called on the governor, to as a matter of public concern, explore available means to settle the dispute.

     

     

     

    It appealed to the labour leaders to embrace dialogue in the interest of the children.

    In a statement issued the party’s spokesman, Alhaji Akeem Azeez described the move by the governor as a subtle privatisation of state public secondary schools.

    It maintained that the policy was “ill-conceived, illegal and unconstitutional” and capable of “destroying today’s hope of a greater tomorrow”.

     

     

    The party, which urged the governor to perish the thought, drew inference from one of the quotable quotes of Archbishop Desmond Tutu: “If you are neutral in a situation of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor”.

    The party noted that the proposed Private Public Partnership initiative in Oyo State public schools is a preamble to the outright sales of government schools to capitalists and affluence in the society.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • NLC praises govt on recovered loot

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has praised the government for giving a transparent account of recovered funds.

    Its President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, in a press statement, said the quantum of recoveries vindicated labour’s support for the fight against corruption, and its insistence on more stringent punishment for offenders.

    It has also exposed the extent of rot in the system and why virtually everything in the polity failed to work.

    ‘’We recall that in our national rally against corruption, we had made the point that we must look at the bigger picture of national recovery by ensuring that recovered funds are deployed to critical infrastructure such as roads, power, key industries and other sectors capable of stimulating the economy,” Wabba said.

    “NLC finds it necessary to, once again, urge the government to deploy recovered funds to key infrastructure or sectors.

    He urged the government not to relent in its recovery drive and fight against corruption, as information has revealed that the recovered funds are just the tip of the iceberg.

    ‘’We at the NLC believe the importance of the fight against corruption cannot be overstated for a couple of reasons. Certainly, we as a people cannot continue to live like this, except we want to be the laughing stock of the rest of the world.

    ‘’Similarly, our teeming youth and the army of the unemployed who look on to their country for their means of livelihood will not fold their hands while a few privileged individuals corner the national resources.

    ‘’We believe that for the war against corruption to endure, we as a people must be firm and resolute in our support for good governance and fight against corruption’’, Wabba said.

    He stated that the nation must entrench the culture of accountability, ensuring that public officers are accountable even out of office.

    He said to further strengthen the anti-corruption agencies, labour calls for the establishment of special courts to try corruption cases, adding that the judiciary has a big role to play by ensuring timely and speedy disposal of corruption cases. 

  • Ajimobi insists on patnership

    Ajimobi insists on patnership

    • NLC, NUT shun Oyo education forum

         •Alaafin, Olubadan support govt

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) yesterday shunned the postponed “Stakeholders Interactive Forum on the Management of Public Secondary Schools” organised by the Oyo State Government.

    The forum, which was scheduled for June 1, to deliberate on the government’s intention to adopt public private partnership in the education sector was disrupted by the labour unions.

    The unions claimed the intention of government was to privatise the education sector and sell public secondary schools.

    The postponed forum was held at the House of Chiefs, Parliament  Building, Secretariat, Ibadan, amidst tight security.

    Security operatives mounted the entrance of the venue with Hilux trucks and Armoured Personnel Carriers over fear of disruption by the labour unions.

    The meeting was attended by Christian and Muslim  clerics, traditional rulers and other stakeholders in the education sector.

    On why the labour leaders shunned the rescheduled forum, the NLC National Vice-Chairman, Mr. Solomon Adelegan, stated that the state government did not send any invitation to the union.

    He insisted that they were not ready to call off their indefinite strike, which started on Monday, until the state government meets their demands.

    Their demands, according to him, include: “Immediate withdrawal of all trump-up charges levelled against incarcerated labour leaders and government must rescind its decision to sell-off any public schools in the state. Proper and adequate funding of the education sector, including payment of living wages and other incentives for educational workers. Immediate payment of six months outstanding salaries and all pension arrears.”

    But at the stakeholders’ forum yesterday, Governor Abiola Ajimobi appealed to organised labour unions and aggrieved parties to embrace dialogue as a way forward to the dispute between government and labour over the proposed new management of schools.

    He noted that dialogue was the hallmark of any democratic setting, hence the need to engage in constant deliberations to avoid unguarded perceptions.

    Ajimobi restated that the intention of the state government was not to sell or hand over schools to any group or individuals.

    His words: “The aim of the government was to brainstorm with stakeholders on ways of improving the education sector by encouraging any association or individuals who were willing to assist the state government. I believe it was politicians that disrupted the initial scheduled stakeholders meeting.

    “It is an open government we are operating and it is transparent. We will continue to ensure transparent governance. There is no place in the media where we told the public that we want to sell off public secondary schools. From the 631 secondary schools in this state, many of them are eyesore and government does not have funds to rehabilitate them.”

    The governor noted that the government who would continue to regulate and give standards for the administration of public schools.

    Ajimobi stressed that rather than make a policy statement on the new education reform, which, he said,government was capable of doing, his administration chose to embrace consultations to welcome inputs from relevant stakeholders.

    He promised that issues raised by the stakeholders at the meeting would be deliberated upon, adding that the forum would not impose any decision on the masses.

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs. Aderonke Makanjuola listed wider consultations, reliable statistical data, sustainability and quest for development as some of the factors taken into considerations to achieve a desirable reform in the education sector.

    Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III and Olubadan of Ibadan Oba Saliu Adetunji both keyed into the initiative of the state government and appealed to stakeholders to complement government’s efforts at repositioning education.

    Oba Adeyemi hailed the initiative, adding that it would go along way to improve the standard of education in state.

    “I am in full support of this policy and I will contribute my quota towards its achievement. Anybody that is against the policy should bring his own idea to the government in a peaceful manner.”

    Oba Adetunji likened the administration to that of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

    But the Eleruwa of Eruwa, Oba Samuel Adegbola, urged the government to re-orientate the masses about the policy.

    Oba Adegbola, who noted that the initiative was a welcome development, stressed that the public needs public sensitisation.

    Representative of Christian community Bishop Jacob Ajetumobi said it had been a long desire of religious bodies to support government in the maintenance and sustenance of schools.

  • NLC to Mimiko, Fayose: non-payment of workers’ salaries a crime

    The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) at the weekend told governors of Ondo and Ekiti states that non-payment of salaries to workers is a crime.

    In separate letters to Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko and his Ekiti State counterpart, Ayodele Fayose, NLC President Ayuba Wabba said though the congress was aware of the economic challenges facing the country, it was not an excuse to owe workers and pensioners.

    Wabba, in his letter to Mimiko, said: “We are not unaware of the present socio-economic challenges in the country.  However, in our estimation, this should not be an acceptable reason for not paying five months salaries and pensions at the level of the state, and four months salaries and pensions at the level of local government and teachers.

    “Sir, you do not need a lecture from anyone to know that non-payment of salaries and pensions for months on end, constitutes a crime against the workers, pensioners and their families, whose lives and obligation to man and God and their sense of self-worth have been put in jeopardy.

    “As one with activist background and one with whom we have had collaboration, these issues are clear and self-evident, and therefore need no belabouring.

    “Your excellency, in these difficult moments in our nation, we no doubt have limited choices, but choices, all the same.  One of these choices is to take a critical look at government expenditure, especially in the areas of political appointments, patronage and allied costs.

    “We similarly call for the renewed drive in the internally-generated revenue.  We have reason to believe that when these initiatives are complimented by the bail-out funds released by the Federal Government, the twin issues of salaries and pensions will not be such a burden.

    “As we noted in our letter to you on the 40th anniversary celebration of Ondo State, you have left a legacy.  We urge you to do all that is necessary to sustain this legacy.  Accordingly, we will not relent in urging you to put in motion the necessary logistics for the commencement of the payment of these salaries and pensions”.

    Wabba also asked Fayose to take steps to bring the strike to an end.

    He said the congress was ready to act as a mediator between the striking workers and the state government to find a solution to the dispute.

    “The issues that led to this strike action are well-known to you and include the non-payment of five months’ salary arrears and pensions; non-implementation of promotion report since 2014; issues around staff verification exercise in 2015; and refusal of government to disclose the actual monthly IGR.

    “We are not unconcerned about the prevailing socio-economic challenges in the polity.  In our view, however, this does not constitute an acceptable rationale for owing workers and pensioners for so long.  A labourer, the Holy Books, tell us, deserves his wages.  Stripped of his wages, he is reduced to a slave without rights or privileges.

    “In the instant case, the workers and pensioners in the state have been pulverised into submission due to the default in the payment of their salaries and pensions to the extent that they are unable to perform their obligations to God, man and the state.

    “We believe this painful situation could be minimised, if not entirely reduced, if government gives consideration to managing the cost of governance, raising the IGR profile and appropriately applying the bail-out funds given by the Federal Government.

    “We urge you to bring this strike action speedily to an end by commencing the process of payment and establishing a platform for dialogue at which the leadership of the workers at the state level could be availed of what accrues to the coffers of the state monthly.

  • NLC plans home-grown economic strategies

    NLC plans home-grown economic strategies

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is to engage the service of some of the best economists in the country to develop home grown economic policies that will lead to the economic development of the country rather than rely on such policies from the World Bank and the IMF.

    The President of the Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, who spoke in Abuja, said developed countries, such as Singapore, were able to move from the fourth world to the first world because they were able to come up with home-grown policies to drive their economy.

    Wabba said one of the major problem confronting third world countries today is the over reliance on the neo-liberal policies from the Brenton Wood Institutes, pointing out that the consequences of such policies can be seen in Argentina and other countries.

    He announced that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which is an affiliate of the NLC, has agreed to give the congress ten of the best economists  to engage policy issues and come up with policy options.

    He said: “At the centre of our problem is also policy issues, one of which is our over reliance on the Brenton Wood institutes where the neo-liberal policies which our founding fathers have fought are resurfacing. We see in France our counterparts there on the streets because neo-liberal policies don’t know race or countries.

    “They are on the streets because the interest of the workers in France is being undermined through legislation. Therefore, we must continue to be vigilant, especially in issues of policies because anytime IMF and World Bank come calling, they come to say, implement our policies. Where has these policies taken us?

    “Can we in quick succession forget the consequences of SAP? SAP came to devalue our Naira and that was the first time devaluation took place in Nigeria. I think what we need as a change is good leadership. Thank God we have a leadership now that is focused.

    “What we need is also policy engagement. We need policies that are not proscribed by external forces. We need to have a team of Economist that should be able to work through what we need as a country outside the prescription of the World Bank and IMF and work through the policies.

    “I am sure that Nigerians will be ready to follow and even make sacrifices. Not a situation where IMF will come and say remove all subsidies and devalue our currency. No countries in the world have survived with those prescriptions.

    “Even the Singapore we are talking about today, they were able to look at their I house challenges, come up with workable solution and with good leadership, they were able to achieve. The same applies with countries that have excelled. We have seen the consequences of IMF prescription on Argentina and other countries.

    “No country in Africa today is stable either economically, socially because of insecurity  and many other crisis and they will use any means to try and destabilize those countries.

    “From East Africa to North Africa and even to where we are in Nigeria today, where does our youths get arms to engage the government and engage all of us? We must realize this theory that is being imposed. Nobody has monopoly of ideas. Ideas can be shared and it can come from the people. That is what labour is doing is doing.

    “I want to inform all of us that we are going to do engagement in two fronts. ASUU, as an affiliate of NLC has agreed to give us the ten best Economists to engage policy issues and come up with policy options.

    “We must also support the action of workers. That is why it is important for TUC and NLC to champion the fight against corruption and good governance. From the information we have, part of the problem we have had is because of corruption. Therefore, it will take all of us working together to be able to change those policy issues.

  • Oyo NLC urges payment of outstanding salaries

    The Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC), Oyo State Chapter has demanded the immediate payment of six months outstanding salaries and pension arrears. The union made the demand at a news conference held at the Union’s secretariat in Ibadan on Saturday, saying it would never relent in its pursuit of better welfare for its members.

    The Treasurer of the Union, Bosun Daramola, who read the resolutions of the congress, called for the immediate and unconditional release of seven of its leaders currently being detained. The Nation gathered that seven labour leaders, including the state NLC Chairman, Waheed Olojede, were on Thursday arrested and detained by the Oyo State Police Command.

    They were arraigned at the Iyaganku Magistrate Court on Friday and remanded at the Agodi Prisons for not meeting their bail conditions. Daramola alleged that the continued incarceration of the leaders on the excuse that they did not meet bail condition is an orchestrated plan of the state government to intimidate the union leaders.

    Daramola listed the other demands as immediate withdrawal of all trump up charges leveled against the incarcerated labour leaders and that government must rescind its decision to sell-off some public school in the state.