The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NLC

  • Ebonyi workers begin strike

    The organised labour in Ebonyi on Wednesday began a nationwide strike organised by the labour to protest the recent hike in pump price of petrol.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in Abakaliki, local, state and federal governments offices were locked while workers gathered in groups discussing the situation.

    The gates of the state secretariat and the office of the Head of Service (HoS) at Amagu and Nnorum streets were locked while the staff loitered outside the secretariats gate.

    Armed police men were also seen milling around the two complexes housing many government organisations to maintain law and order.

    Similarly, the High Court complex was locked and cases slated for hearing were put off as members of the Judicial Service Union (JUSUN) joined in the strike.

    Meanwhile, Mr Ikechukwu Nwafor, the Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ebonyi chapter, in an interview with NAN, said that the strike was in compliance with the directive of the National Secretariat.

    According to him, labour will not call off the strike until government meets its demand.

    “Well the strike has just started and there is massive compliance by the Nigerian workers and the civil populace.

    “Our position is that government must reverse the increment and engage the organised labour and other critical stakeholders in the petroleum sector in dialogue before any hike will be accepted,” Nwafor said.

    Workers who spoke to NAN urged government to reverse the hike in electricity tariff and fuel pump price to alleviate the hardship to the people.

     

  • FG applauds TUC, NLC faction for shelving strike

    FG applauds TUC, NLC faction for shelving strike

    The Federal Government has applauded the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joe Ajaero-led faction of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) for their understanding to shelve the planned strike by organised labour.

    Mr Babachir Lawal, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), gave the commendation in Abuja at a news conference early on Wednesday after a meeting called with a view to avert the proposed strike.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that organised labour had scheduled to commence an industrial action on Wednesday in protest against the liberalization of the petroleum downstream sector, leading to a new fuel pump price of N145.

    Lawal said that the Federal Government, after two consecutive days of deliberations, had full cooperation from the TUC and the Joe Ajaero-led faction of the NLC, to set aside the planned strike.

    According to him, a faction of the NLC completely agreed with the position of the TUC that they will participate in all the technical committees and that work continues on Wednesday as usual.

    He, however, noted that the elected NLC representatives had decided that unless government addressed their demands, they would have no further participation in the process.

    “We only received a notice from them on Saturday and it is government position that it is not humanly possible to respond to their demand within the time frame.

    “Government is fully assured that there will be no strike.

    “Again, we will like to report to Nigerians that the Industrial Court has given an injunction that no strike should hold by NLC and TUC.

    “Government wishes to assure all Nigerians that they should report at their duty posts and go about their jobs as usual.

    “Anyone embarking on strike is doing so illegally.”

    He also said that government responsibility was to guarantee security of lives and property as well as freedom of movement and association.

    The SGF said anyone found in anyway trying to compel Nigerians to do otherwise, would be challenged by the laws of the land.

    Furthermore, Lawal said that the Federal Government had taken the painful decision to liberalise the petroleum sector, knowing that there could be possible adverse consequences to the comfort of Nigerians.

    “But it is a decision needed to be taken at this time and it is the President’s believe that for a better future, painful decisions need to be taken now.

    “The government is determined to bring Nigeria out of previous rot and take bold decisions where necessary, with some expected to be painful.

    “There is no other choice to this matter; if the president had choice to take other options that would be less painful than this, he would have gone for it,” the SGF said.

     

  • CSOs hail TUC, NLC faction for shelving strike

    The Stand Up Nigeria (SUN) and a coalition of over 50 civil society organizations have commended Nigerian workers for shunning the strike being called upon by a faction of NLC, describing it as a needless
    venture that was arranged to service the interest of a few minority.

    National Coordinator of (SUN), Comrade Philip Agbese, while reacting to the outcome of the meeting between the Federal Government and labour, said it is obvious that patriotic Nigerians have resolved to support the current administration’s deregulation policy. He said the action of the Federal Government at the first instance is in the best interest of the larger population of the people and no amount
    of intimidation should cow the President into submission. According to Agbese, Nigerians have since realized that a strike action is not in their best interest, adding that the anti-deregulation proponents are economic saboteurs who are working against the interest of the generality of Nigerians

    Agbese, said by standing on the side of the people and supporting the deregulation policy, Ajearo, has shown that he is the true leader of the NLC and should lead the labour movement in Nigeria without any further delay. He accused the Ayuba Wabba faction of not doing anything to protect workers rights. Saying “workers are being owed several months salaries and the NLC did not go on strike.” He argued that subsidy only enrich a few and impoverished the larger population. According to him, the N1.2 trillion paid out as subsidy in 2015 budget, if properly invested in other sectors could have built more infrastructures and created jobs.

    He said, “As I speak to the press tonight, we have received the casket that signifies the final death of “subsidy” which has been used to milk the resources of this country by a certain minute minority and it shall be formally interned by 2pm today in the full glare of the Nigerian media for all to see that this epidemic will never visit us again in thenearest future.”

    He also commended the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) who he said saw reasons and pulled out of the strike.

  • Ajaero’s faction backs out of strike

    The factional president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has said his faction will not take part in the planned strike called by the Congress to protest the fuel price hike.

    Ajaero told journalists in Abuja that his faction cannot be part of the action because it was called at a wrong time and with wrong motives.

    He also accused the Ayuba Wabba faction of asking the government to write off the N2 billion loan the group collected in 2012 to buy buses.

    He said: When you are asking that the loan given to you in 2012, which had not been paid back should be written off, we believe that the action has already been sold out before it takes off.

    “So, we will wait for our group to meet. But definitely, it appears that by ideology and every other thing. We can no longer meet. We thought we should have managed this in the interest of Nigerians but from the look of things, if appear we have to go our different ways.

    “We have condemned the increase and called for negotiation and reversal. It was on the basis of our calls that this meeting was summoned for us to meet and find the way forward.”

    While insisting that his group will not participate in the strike, Ajaero said, “If we wanted to be serious about an action, you can’t call for an action on Wednesday. It is only an action that is sold out that is called for Wednesday so that by Friday, you say you have strike lethargy and call it off.

     

  • NIC stops labour’s planned strike

    NIC stops labour’s planned strike

    • Orders maintenance of status quo as at May 17

    The National Industrial Court (NIC) has restrained the organised labour from proceeding with its planned strike over the increase in fuel price.

    NIC President, Justice Babatude Adejumo in an ex-parte ruling Tuesday also directed ‎the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the motion on notice filed by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN).

    Justice Adejumo gave the order after listening to Malami moved an ex-parte application.

    The judge said: “The defendants are hereby restrained from carrying out the threat contained in their communique issued on May 14th pending the hearing and determination of the ‎motion on notice filed on May 16.

    “It is the order of this court that status quo be maintained as at 17th May‎.”

    Listed as plaintiffs are the Federal Government and the AGF, while the defendants are the NLC and the TUC.

    Justice Adejumo also ordered that the processes in the case be served on the respondents within 24 hours and that proof of service be filed in the court

    He added: “It is the order of this court that non of the parties shall engage in any act, conduct, overtly, covertly on this matter pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

    Justice Adejumo however announced the transfer of the case to another judge of the court for further hearing on the ground he would be engaged at the National Judicial Council and would not be able to take further proceeding on the matter.

    The NIC President said he was busy at the National Judicial Council and would not be able to go ahead with the hearing.

    The judge said he would prefer that the dispute be resolved amicably but that he was constrained to issue the order exparte because the respondents were not yet before him.

    He also said that he granted the order to make sure that people were not subjected to avoidable hardship.

    “I decided to take this case this morning because it is on an issue that will affect everybody. I don’t want people to be subjected to hardship. There will be scarcity of foods, people may die, students will engage in all sorts of activities. This is why I have to grant this order,” he said.

    The plaintiffs, had in the exparte application, sought an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the respondents from embarking on industrial action pending the determination of the originating summons.

    They also asked for an order of interlocutory injunction retraining the respondents from demonstration or engaging in any act that may disrupt the economic activities of the nation pending the determination of the originating summons.

    Malami had, while moving an exparte application, argued that it was in the national interest to stop the organised labour from shutting down the nation over last week’s increase in price of fuel.

    He cited Section 14 of the 1999 constitution as amended to justify his application to stop the strike.

    Malami argued that ‎no amount of damages could serve as compensation if NLC is allowed to shut down the economy.

    He said government undertook to pay the cost if the order turned out to be frivolous.

    The AGF argued that the balance of convenient was in favour of the government.

    He urged the court to determine: Whether the respondents have complied with the laid down condition precedent for embarking on strike‎; and whether there exist in law and in fact, the basis for which the respondents’ total closure of the economy could be justified.

    He said that labour met on Saturday and issued a communiqué wherein it gave government a three-day ultimatum to reverse the decision increasing fuel price.

    The AGF told the court that NLC had threatened to shut down the country if government failed to reverse the fuel price increase.

    Malami told the court that the respondents had threatened to close down all government offices, seaport, airports and markets.

    He said that ordinary and law abiding citizens would be subjected to hardship if the respondents were allowed to go ahead with their threat.

    Malami argued that the government was left with no alternative but to seek the intervention of the court.

    The AGF said that he got notice of the communique on Sunday and quickly filed an originating summons, a motion on notice and an exparte application to determine whether NLC’s decision was justified in the circumstance.

    He argued that the damage would have been done should the court refuse the exparte application.

    In an affidavit filed in support the motion, the AGF said: “That if the planned strike is allowed to go on, the Federal, State and Local Government will lose revenue worth billions of Naira, thereby causing untold hardship and ‎unimaginable security problems/challenges across the country.”

    He also said that labour had not complied with the laid down procedure for declaring a strike and had ‎not given the government notice of the plan to go on strike adding that government merely became aware of the plan through publication in the media.

    Malami said the Federal Government has no issue or disagreement with labour concerning the welfare or rights or condition of service with the different industrial unions and trade union congresses affiliated to NLC to warrant the threats to proceed on strike or causing a breakdown of law and order in the country from 17th May, 2016.

     

  • Government, labour meet over fuel price hike

    There was a mild drama on Monday at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) during a meeting convened between the organised labour and the Federal Government to resolve the brewing crisis caused by hike in fuel price when the leadership of labour threatened to boycott the meeting if the factional leader of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero, was allowed to be part of the meeting.

    The meeting earlier slated for 3:00pm did not start until 7:10pm when the SGF led other members of the negotiating team to the conference hall.

    The government delegation was led by the SGF, David Lawal and it included Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kackukwu, Minister of State for Solid Minerals, Abubakar Bawa Bwari, Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed and the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Ita Enang.

    The labour delegation included President of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, President of the Trade Union Congress, Bobboi Kaigama, General Secretaries of both the NLC and TUC, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson and Comrade Simeso Amachree, Deputy President of the NLC and TUC, Najim Yaseem and Austin Etafo and the President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson.

    However, the factional leader of the NLC, Ajaero and his deputy, who is also the president of NUPENG, Igwe Achese, who were present at the SGF office were not allowed into the meeting as they were asked to stay out and await their turn to meet with the government team.

    The president of NLC and TUC led out their team from the conference hall of the SGF office, insisting that Ajaero and his team should not be part of the meeting since the issue for discussion was not about electricity and pleas by Dr. Kachikwu to get them into the meeting proved abortive.

    Addressing the meeting before going into a closed door section, the SGF said the decision to deregulate the petroleum sector was taken in the best interest of Nigerians, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari empathizes with Nigerians over the short time consequences of the decision.

     

  • Fuel price hike: Oshiomhole joins FG’s team

    Fuel price hike: Oshiomhole joins FG’s team

    Edo State Governor, Adams Oshoimhole, was on Monday drafted to join the Federal Government team seeking to resolve the crisis caused by hike in price of petrol.

    The Federal Government had last week increased the pump price of petrol from N86.50 to N145.

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other unions have threatened to embark on strike if government fails to revert to the former pump price.

    To resolve the crisis, Oshiomhole, who was a former president of NLC, met with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday.

    He was accompanied by the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige.

    The duo left the Villa on Monday afternoon for a meeting with the unions’ leaders at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

    When approached to speak on the crisis after the meeting with the vice president, Oshomhole told State House correspondents: “Sorry, we are already late for a meeting.”

  • Subsidy removal: Jigawa Police Boss summons, meets NLC

     

    The Jigawa state Police Commissioner summoned the leadership of the state’s branch of  Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and held an emergency meeting in respect of the proposed nationwide industrial strike action by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) tomorrow.

    Briefing news men in his office shortly after the emergency meeting with labour union, the police commissioner, Alhaji Usman Abdullahi Tilli said the NLC in the state assured him that peace will remain in the state.

    “I called them in respects of the planned labour actions against the fuel price increased by the federal government, we discussed extensively and I categorically told them that if they cannot suspend the action, they must be sure that criminals did not takes advantage of their activities to disrupts peaceful coexistence of the state”, he said.

    Tilli stated further that “the police is more than ready to protects the lives and property of people and we have more than enough manpower and materials to handle any security challenge in the state during and after the Nigeria Labour Congress activities”.

    He therefore called on the public to be peaceful and law abiding, “they should also be assisting us with useful information, as peace and security is the responsibility of every one”.

  • Open letter to NLC on subsidy

    SIR: It is high time for Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to engage, indulge and cultivate the act of providing a lasting solutions to Nigerian public servants and masses instead of sabotaging federal government efforts by going for industrial strike.

    Labour is spoiling for a fight over fuel price increase. Meanwhile what the Government said was “any entity can now import fuel subject to product quality and standard regulations”. Instead of their usual irrational resort to industrial strike, I think Organised Labour should take advantage of this window of opportunity by putting together its resources to join the line of fuel importers, so that it can sell its products at N86.

    The advantage is that Labour petroleum products will attract more patronage and force other marketers to do likewise. This is not an alien proposal, there are precedents. When the government stopped buying cars for workers Labour took up the challenge by organising co-operative societies that made cars available to workers who are members. When the government stopped building houses for workers, Labour took up the challenge and started buying acres and hectares of land which they shared to workers through cooperative societies.  They even have building materials available to workers through the cooperative society.

    I think it’s time Labour unions, societies, associations, churches and communities took up roles in the global free market for the benefit of its members. There is a paradigm shift in ideologies, principles and how they should be employed in our modern world. The growth of population, innovation in technology and expanding economic space has made it unprofitable to apply the model and formula of the 20th century successfully in this 21st century.  The need for this inclusive participation in economic activities by Labour is underscored by the prediction that a time will come  when most tools of labour for both government and non governmental entities will be machines and not man, by then Organised Labour  whose only goal is industrial agitation for better wage and living conditions of workers will become irrelevant and otiose.

    Take note that the military is about to key into this new trend of active participation in the free market economy. In Egypt the army is involved in commercial construction of roads, bridges and building. It owns the company called “Arab Contractors”.

    The Nigerian Army will soon commence the commercial sale and transportation of petroleum products in its newly constructed mega filling stations in parts of the country. Other than industrial actions and personal welfare, What does the other bodies and Labour Union have to bring to the table of free market economy?

    I therefore, urge the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) should do the needful things now and not sooner or later.

    • Usman Mohammed ,

    IBB Varsity, Lapai-Niger State.

  • Labour to FG: Revert to old pump price or face shut down

    Labour to FG: Revert to old pump price or face shut down

    Organised Labour, made up of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and their civil society allies has given the Federal Government till 12 midnight of Tuesday, 17th May, to revert to the old pump price of petrol or face a nationwide shut down if the economy.
    In a joint communique signed by the President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and his TUC counterpart, Bobboi Kaigama, they asked Nigerians to stockpile enough food item to last them a while for the prosecution of the current struggle against neo-liberal agenda in Nigeria.
    They alleged that those they termed as neo-liberal forces have taken over the government and are determined to make the government collapse even before the four tenure.
    If the government fails to accede to the demands of the unions, the NLC, TUC and their civil society allies resolve to commence the following actions with effect from Wednesday, May 18, 2016;
    · Mobilize to the streets across the country, ordinary and helpless Nigerians to whom they owe the duty of protection;
    · Shut down all Banks, Sea and Airports, Government and private offices as well as Markets.
    · Commence indefinite nationwide strike action.
    · Fight/resist the machinations and cruelties of the neo-liberal forces in the government as part of the process of saving the government from itself and the generality of Nigerians from slavery.
    Nigerians were advised to stock sufficient food items that will last for a while for the prosecution of the ” current struggle against neo-liberal agenda in Nigeria”.
    He said the singular act of “mindless pump price increase is a betrayal of trust on the part of the government.
    He recalled that the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachukwu had told the nation that subsidy has been removed for petrol through his ingenuity and that Nigeria was saving $1 billion from the process.
    “Organized Labour wondered what has informed government’s sudden and dangerous policy summersault and its desperate attempt to convince the public that Labour was part of the decision that led to this price increase;
    “In view of the fact that the board of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), which is statutorily vested with powers to recommend prices, has not been reconstituted, the price variation announced by any officer of the agency or outside the agency is not only ultra vires and illegal, it is a criminal imposition on the citizenry;
    “The price hike from N86:50 to N145, representing 67.63% increase, is the height of insensitivity and impunity as there was no previous consultation with stake holders, especially the organized labour, or any justification for this reckless decision other than the fact that government believes it is accountable to no one”.
    The NLC President faulted the statement of the Minister that marketers will have to source their dollars from the secondary market, pointing out that the attendant pressure on the dollar will lead to unimaginable rise in the prices of commodities and other services thus creating further hardship for the people.
    “In view of the fact that in the past five years, there has been no increase in salaries or wages or pensions in the face of devaluations, spiralling inflation and other vagaries of the economy, this product price increase is unrealistic, unaffordable, unacceptable and is thus rejected;
    “Government is unable to justify this price increase other than the puerile explanation that marketers need to recover their costs, without a thought for the aggregate or larger national interest including the need for local refining and creation of jobs;
    “The government has remained incalcitrant in spite of a subsisting court injunction on the issue of the criminal increase in electricity tariff even in the face of ever-worsening power supply situation;
    “From the foregoing, it is evident that the neo-liberal forces in the government have taken over the government and we should expect more inhumane policies which will further degrade the living standard of the average Nigerian. The punitive electricity tariff and PMS product prices may just be teasers;
    “The implications are costly and far-reaching, with the first and most significant being that we have become dependent on massive importation of refined products to meet our domestic needs in contra-distinction to other OPEC members.
    “Whereas most OPEC members significantly meet their domestic needs through domestic refining by an average of 80 per cent, Nigeria on the contrary, at the pace it is going, will continue to rely on about 90 percent of imported refined products in the foreseeable future;
    “And because we are dependent on importation, the end-user price will always be influenced or determined by external factors such as the cost of refining abroad, transportation and others denominated in the dollar.
    “As the Naira continues to depreciate against the dollar, so will the woes of consumers in Nigeria continue to increase, a situation the Marketers in classic greed will exploit to their advantage;
    “Taking into account the utilitarian value of petroleum products in Nigeria, all sectors are going to be negatively affected by this mindless price increase as virtually all the stakeholders are agreed that the most significant contributor to the astronomical cost of doing business in Nigeria is the cost of energy.
    “NLC, TUC and other civil society allies are not unaware of the positions taken by the Unions in the oil and Gas Industry. A process of engagement will be put in place in order to ensure the success of the struggle to protect the overall interest of the Nigerian people.
    “In consideration of all of the above, we urge government to revert to the old price regime in order to reduce the suffering of the people and to consider this singular act of mindless pump price increase as a betrayal of trust;
    “Revert to the pre-45 percent electricity tariff increase, make meters available to consumers and stop estimated billing and reconstitute the boards of PPPRA and NNPC without further delay and give them their statutory right to function alongside DPR in order to deepen the process of consultation, checks and balances in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry;
    “Government must Intensify the prosecution of all those involved in subsidy scams with a view to recovery and sanctioning of the culpable; put in place enhanced local refining capacity within a specified period in place of endless importation as an enduring solution to the perennial problem of scarcity;
    “They must reverse the entire deregulation and privatization process which foists on the nation, private individuals as drivers of the economy in contravention of the constitutional provision that says government shall be the driver of the economy and engage the organised labour in the process of negotiation on key policy issues;
    “Government must wean itself from the overbearing influence of the neo-liberal elements in its fold who have not only staged a coup but are determined to make this government collapse even before the end of its four-year tenure;
    “The President must uphold its electioneering promises to Nigerians instead of subjecting them to the vagaries of slavish policies such as full devaluation of the naira and total removal of subsidy as enunciated by the IMF and its agents in the system.”