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Tag: NLC

  • NLC plans one-day strike on fuel, power crises

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday resolved to go on a one-day warning strike over the state of the nation, especially the increase in electricity tariff and ongoing fuel crisis.

    Its President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, lamented that the response to the prevailing economic situation by all the tiers of government in the country has been a source of worry for many Nigerians, especially the  workers.

    In an address to the opening session of the Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting of the congress in Abuja yesterday, Wabba said Nigerians are feeling the harsh realities of the economic crises in the country.

    Specifically, the NLC president decried the unjustifiable 45 per cent increase in electricity tariff, saying the increase was “illegal, unfair, unjustifiable and a further exploitation of the already exploited Nigerians.”

    He pointed out that the due process in the extant laws for such an increment was not followed in consonance with Section 76 of the Power Sector Reform Act, 2005.

    Wabba said there has not been any significant improvement in service delivery coupled with the fact that most consumers are not metered in accordance with the signed Privatisation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of November 21, 2013 which stipulated that within 18 months gestation period, all consumers are to be metered.

    He regretted that despite the national action organised by the congress in the 36 states of the federation including Abuja, which was adjudged successful, the intervention of the National Assembly and especially the Senate President who received the protesters at the National Assembly premises in Abuja, the power firms remained adamant.

    According to him, the privatisation of the power sector was done in bad faith and it has become obvious that the investors do not have the capacity to improve power generation and supply in the country.

    He said the CWC will agree on a day to embark on the strike, because according to him, several actions promised by the Federal Government to checkmate the tariff increment have not been implemented.

    He said: “While the process is on, the tariff increase has remained, and under a worsening power supply situation. Not a few Nigerians are groaning under this burden. Not a few of them look to the Congress for a solution.”

    On the issue of fuel scarcity, he pointed out that when the first incident occurred  under this government, “we put it to sabotage and urged the government to deal decisively with the saboteurs but with an eye to enhanced local production as an enduring solution. When the second incident happened, we similarly reasoned the same way.

    “However, with the latest incident of prolonged scarcity and confession by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources that scarcity will persist till May as he is not a magician, regular scarcity might as well  be a familiar feature, and we would do well to brace ourselves for long spells, except government does the needful.

    “We must however make the point that spells of scarcity will not be acceptable to Labour and other Nigerians  because the human and economic costs are unimaginable.”

  • Electricity tariff: NLC to declare national warning strike

    Electricity tariff: NLC to declare national warning strike

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says it will declare a one-day national warning strike over the refusal of the Federal Government to reduce the electricity tariff.

    NLC President Ayuba Wabba said this while addressing newsmen during the Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting of the congress on Wednesday in Abuja.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that on Jan. 29, the NLC led the picketing of electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) nationwide, the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, and the National Assembly.

    The action, aimed at getting the Federal govern to reverse the 45 per cent tariff hike did not yield the desired result.

    Wabba insisted that the tariff increase was “illegal, unfair, unjustifiable and an exploitation of the already exploited Nigerians.

    “The privatisation of the power sector was done in bad faith and it has become obvious that the investors did not have the capacity to improve power generation and supply in the country.

    “The CWC will agree on a day to embark on the strike, because several actions promised by the Federal Government to checkmate the tariff increment have not been implemented.’’

    He also noted that the current fuel scarcity in the country had brought untold hardship to workers and Nigerians as a whole.

    “We must, however, make the point that spells of scarcity will not be acceptable to Labour and other Nigerians because the human and economic costs are unimaginable.

    “We have being patient with this government but this persistence scarcity and suffering of our people will no longer be tolerated.’’

    The NLC president also frowned at the failure of the government to constitute the board of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).

    He said that no individual had the right to fix the prices of petroleum products.

    “We demand the constitution of the board of NNPC and PPPRA. The latter is a 26-man board vested with powers of regulating prices of petroleum products. Today, it is a one-man show.”

    On the economy, Wabba noted that Nigerians were groaning under harsh economic conditions.

    He urged on President Muhammadu Buhari to take urgent steps to implement the budget.

    “Government must consult more widely and come up with an enduring solution,” Wabba said.

     

  • NLC backs Buhari on 2016 budget

    NLC backs Buhari on 2016 budget

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Wednesday threw its weight behind the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari not to sign the 2016 budget until details of the budget are transmitted to him.

    The congress also warned that frequent and constant scarcity of petroleum products will not be acceptable to Labour and other Nigerians because the human and economic costs are unimaginable.

    Speaking at the opening of the Central Working Committee meeting of the Congress in Abuja, President of the congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba said the President should be given the opportunity of studying the budget passed by the National Assembly before assenting to it.

    He also said the fastest way to lose credibility before the ordinary citizenry is scarcity of petroleum products because the combined effects of scarcity of petroleum products and low power supply create misery for the people as well as have a damning impact  on travel, jobs, productivity and the economy as a whole.

    Comrade Wabba said while the National Assembly deserve commendation for painstakingly going through the budget and exposing the imperfections in it, the right of due diligence which the National Assembly exercised to the hilt and led  to the unearthing of discrepancies in the budget should similarly be extended to Mr. President.

    He said: “In spite of the initial controversy around the national budget, it has been passed by the National Assembly. The National Assembly is deserving of commendation for going through the budget with a tooth brush and for exposing the imperfections in it.

    “President Buhari is equally deserving of commendation not just for the courage in expressing outrage at the criminal padding of the budget by the budget cabal but for having the single-mindedness to deal with this situation.

    “The passage of the budget is expected to open or free up the economy. Our observations will not be complete without commenting on the decision of Mr. President to withhold his assent until the details on the budget are transmitted to him by the National Assembly.

    “First, it is within the province of Mr. President to so do as a matter of personal style or principle. Moreover, we have had a presidential precedent. But beyond all this, it is pertinent to note that, the right of due diligence which the National Assembly exercised to the hilt and led to the unearthing of discrepancies in the budget should similarly be extended to Mr. President. Accordingly, we identify with his position that the details of the budget be first transmitted to him, in spite of the challenges this might present.”

    While expressing concern over the lingering fuel crisis in the country, The NLC President said: “When the first incident of fuel scarcity occurred under this government, we put it to sabotage and urged the government to deal decisively with the saboteurs but with an eye to enhance local production as an enduring solution. When the second incident happened, we similarly reasoned the same way.

    “However, with the latest incident of prolonged scarcity and confession by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources that scarcity will persist till May as he is not a magician, regular scarcity might as well be a familiar feature, and we would do well to brace ourselves for long spells, except government does the needful.

    “We must however make the point that spells of scarcity will not be acceptable to Labour and other Nigerians because the human and economic costs are unimaginable.

    “While we appreciate government’s effort to make available on an uninterruptible basis, such effort  must be seen to be result-yielding and immediate. Because of the place of petroleum products in the lives of the citizenry, it’s scarcity even for a day generates ripple and crippling effects.

    “We dare say one of the fastest ways for government to lose its credibility before the ordinary citizenry is scarcity of petroleum products because the combined effects of scarcity of petroleum products and low power supply create misery for the people as well as have a damning impact on travel, jobs, productivity and the economy as a whole. We are concerned and we must similarly find a way forward.

    “It is gratifying to note that government has straightened its relationship with the critical stake holders (including IPMAN) which it says will henceforth guarantee regular supply at N86 at NNPC filling stations and N86:50 at non-NNPC filling stations.

    “Without prejudice to the on-going government’s initiative at finding a lasting solution, we believe subsisting fuel scarcity is caused by an interplay of corruption in the system; the existence of a cabal that defies the structural changes at NNPC; national and international politics around production, sale and consumption of oil;  sabotage in the management of the refineries; award of contracts for turnaround maintenance (TAM)  without regard to the companies that built these refineries and smuggling.

    “Also not helpful to the system is the regular friction or power play between lifters or distributors of products such as Major Marketers, Independent Marketers, Association of Tank Farm Owners and others in the chain.

    “It is worth mentioning that government institutions in the sector such DPR and PPPRA which are expected to function independently as well as regulate the system, have either been sidelined, weakened and brought under the control of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

    “Accordingly, we call on the government to do the needful by demonstrating the will and capacity to restore sanity, discipline and transparency to the downstream sector of the industry. The statutory roles of these agencies should be restored so they can function properly.

    “Government should also deal summarily with corruption in the sector. It should never allow itself to be blackmailed or cowed into taking decisions that in the long run will not be helpful to the ordinary Nigerian.

    “There are pending cases from subsidy scams inherited from the last administration. They came into limelight following our nation-wide protest against unjustifiable increase in prices of petroleum products of January 2012.  Nigerians are keen to know what has become of the reported criminalities by the high and the mighty”.

    The congress demand the diligent prosecution of all those found wanting in the distribution of fuel products, cold or fresh cases and the constitution of the boards of NNPC and PPPRA, adding that while the board of the PPPRA is supposed to be a 26-man board vested with powers of regulating prices of petroleum products, today, it is a one-man show.

    While commending President Muhammadu Buhari for taking bold measures or decisions aimed at rebuilding the economy, the congress said some of these decisions include re-newing or strengthening relations with nations of worth, signing of bilateral or trilateral agreements, creating a safe haven for investment, fighting corruption, restoring internal security,  tracking and recovering looted funds, resisting pressures to further devalue the Naira and other measures.

    It lamented that in spite of the efforts, the Naira has continued to fall against major currencies, inflation continues to rise, commodity prices mount, while the productive sector has continued to shrink with more loss of jobs and very few employers being able to pay salaries as and when due.

    Emphasizing the seriousness of the current economic situation in the country, Comrade Wabba said Government must consult more widely and come up with an enduring solution to the problem.

    He also lamented the absence of a credible economic team with a coherent policy capable of responding to the present economic challenges. Adding that Labour is serious enough a component of this polity to be considered to be part of this team when government constitutes one.

    He warned government and other employers of labour against nonpayment if salaries pointing out that some state government have refused to pay salaries of workers even after collecting the bail out fund from the federal government.

    He said: “It has been observed that many employers including the public sector, have reneged on their contractual obligation to their workers by virtue of refusing to pay salaries as when due. This has exposed workers and their families to all manner of difficulties and embarrassment. Some states, even after collecting bail-out funds have refused to pay, citing all manner of excuses.

    “Our holy books tell us that a labourer deserves his wages! Violation of this well-known dictum is not only abhorrent and reprehensible; it is criminal and not acceptable to us.

    “Accordingly, we have instructed our unions and councils to furnish us with the details of debtor-employers for the purpose of a sustainable engagement on the streets. We by this statement put our state governments and other MDAs on notice. Except they pay up now, they shall keep a date with us”

    Wabba warned the Kaduna state government against going ahead with its audit of union members and forbidding workers from belonging to unions, adding that the decision of the State Government to unilaterally conduct a membership audit of union members constitutes a gross interference in the internal affairs of the unions and is an illegality.

    He said further that “this government’s latest policy or directive is not only an affront but a direct violation of the fundamental and constitutional rights of workers as enshrined in Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended); Conventions 87 and 98 of ILO ( ratified by Nigeria); and the Trade Unions (Amendment) Act  which guarantee the right and protection of workers to freely associate, unionise and operate independently of government.

    “We have since gone back to Kaduna to mobilize resistance to this policy via sensitizing more workers and using strategic contacts in government circles. We have done a strong letter to the Governor but which we are yet to release.

    “We also reached out to Femi Falana, SAN, who has given us a draft letter to the governor. Please, note that a legal option avails us an opportunity of instituting multiple suits against the Government of Kaduna State since each union is a legal entity of its own”.

     

  • NLC threatens mass action

    NLC threatens mass action

    •We won’t frustrate govt’s efforts, says NUPENG

    The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday threatened mass action if the persistent fuel scarcity is not urgently addressed.

    It said it could be forced to demonstrate against public officers who have not delivered on their mandate and demand their removal for subjecting Nigerians to pains

    The NLC said in a system: “Electricity has become an essential commodity, public utilities have since gone to the dogs, petroleum products have grown wings and vanished, compounding an already bad transport system, reducing Nigerians in all parts of the nation to compulsory trekkers.

    “Having observed the increasing alarm and seeming confusion within the corridors of power on possible solutions to the socio-economic quagmire, we make haste to say that Nigeria is indeed at crossroads today and the extent of suffering is such that this nation has not witnessed throughout its history.

    “We, therefore, want the government at the centre to quickly talk to Nigerian workers and the masses on why we should continue having trust and patience with them.

    “We urge them to tell us why we should not be in the streets calling for mass resignations of officers of this government, and to also tell us why we should not be worried when all the macro-economic indices are moving downwards.”

    NLC’s factional President, Joe Ajaero and his deputy, Achese Igwe, who doubles as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) President, told a news conference in Lagos, that the  government should focus on reactivating the nation’s refineries.

    It said the licenses granted local refiners should be reviewed and withdrawn from non-performing licensees.

    The congress urged the government to deploy the stolen funds being recovered from individuals in the implementation of projects.

    They said: “We urge the government to come clean as promised and account for what it has actually recovered from the treasury looters, giving Nigerians details of the culprits and how much each stole.

    “We also urge the president and his cabinet to set up appropriate machinery to deploy the recovered funds to fill the resource gaps complained about because of the dip in global oil prices.”

    Igwe said NUPENG was willing to collaborate with the government to ensure a seamless distribution of petroleum products.

    He, however, added that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was yet to reach out to the NUPENG leadership on how the union can assist in ending the fuel crisis.

    “NNPC is yet to partner with NUPENG. They are yet to sit down with NUPENG on how to get this problem solved. But we are willing to partner with NNPC to end this fuel crisis,” Igwe said.

    On the leadership crisis in NLC, Ajaero said his faction was still open to reconciliation, adding that a seven-man committee that was set up to reconcile the factions at the state chapter level was frustrated.

    “We are waiting for reconciliation. For now we have two NLCs, one for the government and one for the people. We are for the people,” Ajaero said.

     

     

     

  • How petrol scarcity is affecting workers, by NLC

    Labour yesterday highlighted the woes workers are passing through as a result of the ongoing scarcity of petrol.

    Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Ayuba Wabba said the crisis has affected workers productivity adversely nationwide.

    He said: “If you look at the scenario it is a reoccurring decimal, people are facing serious fuel challenges from one day to the other.

    “This is affecting productivity, it also put workers on unnecessary and undue pressure because you know that the salary is fixed.

    “Anytime there is an increase in any commodity either power or petroleum product certainly it deplete that available income at the disposal of the worker.

    “So, it is workers that are at the receiving end and in that way you can see that the workers will begin to come late and the management will say you are coming late without making a redress on the alarm factor.

    “Those are the clear issues and I think that government must look at the policies and tackle the situation head long,’’ he said.

    He said government must fashion out medium and long term measures that would fixed the problem holistically.

    He noted that the issue of fuel scarcity had been on since 1999 and there was need for drastic action to be taken.

    “It means that the prescription for solving the fuel situation cannot take us to the promise land.

    “Then if it cannot take us to the promise land, why should we continue to do just a quick fix on this very major issue?’’

    Wabba, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the refineries should be made functional to remove untold hardship the people are going through and to boost the economy.

    He said that the NLC had done an extensive research on the four refineries and findings revealed that the refineries could still be classified as new ones.According to him, some of the refineries around the world are built in 1981, saying there is an Indian refinery that has stayed for over 100 years.

    “The argument that the four refineries in the country cannot meet our domestic needs is false.

    “We have seen refineries that have lower capacity but through the process of upgrading and upgrading the capacity of refining were able to meet locally and international needs.

    “So, if Kaduna refinery can be upgraded, Port Harcourt refinery, among others, their capacity of refining can also be upgraded and with adequate maintenance these refineries can work for over a 100 years.

    “It is just that we are not doing what is right. That is why they are referring to our refineries as scrap.

    “They want to buy and upgrade them in that way monopolising them.

    “So, the argument is flat that is why we have remained consistent on our position that once we get the policies right, then it will be okay for us to move forward,’’ he said.

    Wabba gave an instance of Chevron multinational oil company that had been in Nigeria for many years but did not have a refinery in the country.

    He noted that Chevron had refineries in Singapore even when that country did not have oil.

    He explained that “what Chevron does is to transfer our oil from Nigeria to Singapore and refine it there and bring it back as a refine product for us to buy. “So, we are then paying the transportation back and front and the cost of refining the product, this is the scenario.

    “So, why is so difficult for them to build those refineries in Nigeria where they are doing production for over 30 and 40 years.

    “This is because of corruption. The Federal Government must wake up,’’ he said.

    But Group Executive Director, Commercial and Investment of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Dr. Babatunde Adeniran, said yesterday that the fuel crisis will soon be over.

    Speaking in Benin after monitoring the sales of petrol in filling stations, he said: “Nobody is happy with what is happening despite all the efforts we have put in place. The bottom line is the amount of forex available. The problem is not peculiar to Nigeria. Refineries in Europe are changing their configuration from winter to summer.

    “Our Refineries are coming up. We can now supply crude to Port Harcourt and Warri. We are making effort to push crude to Kaduna refinery. To push crude to Kaduna will take about 10 days. They are warming up already in Kaduna to receive crude.”

    In Benin yesterday, petrol was being sold for N250 per litre. The NNPC Mega filling stations had not dispensed petrol for over four days.

    Adeniran noted that other Group Executive Directors of the NNPC visited other parts of the country to get first hand information about sales and distribution of fuel.

    He said he had gone round and noticed long queues at some filling stations e not dispensing products.

    Adeniran listed causes of the fuel scarcity to include inadequate forex, configuring refineries abroad from winter to summer and pipeline vandalism.

    He urged Nigerians to bear with the corporation as according to him, “fuel will soon be available as soon as we have this summer configuration which is peculiar to Nigeria needs”.

    The NNPC chief added:  ”I have seen long queue and see where they are selling and where they are not selling. It is a situation that is not palatable”.

  • NLC threat uncalled for, says Oyo

    NLC threat uncalled for, says Oyo

    The Oyo State government has described the seven-day strike ultimatum by Labour “as unnecessary and uncalled for”.

     In a statement by the Special Adviser to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Communication and Strategy, Yomi Layinka, the government said it has not flouted the agreement it reached with workers last year.

    The statement reads: “The attention of the Oyo State government has been drawn to media reports insinuating disharmony between the government and the state branch of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over payment of salary arrears.

    “The government empathises with workers and pensioners  and solicit continued understanding over the matter.

    “It is important to note that leaderships of the labour unions and the government have had a very robust understanding on this matter long before now.”

    The Special Adviser said the governor has scheduled a meeting today with Labour leaders.

    He appealed to workers to allow reason to prevail by not truncating the industrial harmony existing within the state.

  • NLC, TUC threaten to shut down Kaduna

    NLC, TUC threaten to shut down Kaduna

    •Kick against El-Rufai’s new engagement rules

    Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) yesterday threatened to shut down Kaduna State to protest against the new rules of engagement put in place by Governor Nasir El-Rufai .

    The state Chapter of NLC, said the government had issued out a form , titled ; Special Exercise on Staff Verification , where it requested all workers under its payroll to either fill a “Yes or No”, for membership of union .

    Addressing a large crowd of workers that converged on the Kaduna NLC Secretariat, the Chairman of TUC, Comrade Boiboi Kaigama and that of NLC Comrade Ayuba Waba in their separate speeches submitted that no reasonable government will deny workers of their fundamental rights to belong to a union for protection of their rights.

    The union chairmen, asked El-Rufai to expunge the portion of the verification form that appeared to be anti labour or face very strong actions that will ground the state.

    Waba , who said no worker has right to opt out of union and enjoy minimum wage, emphasised that the 1948 UN Charter gives rights to workers to belong to trade union of their choice. He added: “If workers have gone through several verification exercises, why this one again? Any verification form issued without the consent of either labour or government is unacceptable.”

    While urging all labour leaders in the state to call for an emergency meeting to discuss and decide the next line of action before Wednesday, when joint decision will be taken, Waba ordered all civil servants in the state not fill any anti labour forms, stressing, “We must continue to insist that workers must work under freely without intimidation.”

    Similarly, President of TUC, Boiboi who said time has come to tell government that workers are the owners of the land , said ,”We hold El-Rufai in high esteem ,but it is sad that someone that was an executive council member , does not know that union membership is not the issue of government, is an aberration.”

    Earlier in his speech, Kaduna NLC Chairman, Comrade Adamu Ango said the government has pushed labour unions to the wall and they are prepared to fight back.

    In a swift reaction, the state government in a statement by Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan said the government respects the right of workers to freedom of association.

     

     

  • FG, NLC bid farewell to Ocholi

    FG, NLC bid farewell to Ocholi

    The Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday extolled the qualities of the late Minister of State for Labour and Employment, James Ocholi (SAN).

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on March 6, the minister, his wife and son died in a motor accident along Kaduna/Abuja Express road.

    Sen. Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, while speaking at the valedictory court session held in his honour at the National Industrial Court, Abuja described Ocholi’s death as painful.

    Ngige said that the legacies left behind by the late minister were good ones and would forever be remembered.

    “I have known him before we started working together; we were together in the party APC.

    “He was our deputy legal adviser and was also a member of the merger committee which I also belong.

    “I have also known him as a lawyer and working together in the Ministry of Labour and Employment was a home coming to both of us.

    “We were already friends and we have to pilot the affairs of the ministry together.

    “Our main goal in the ministry was to bring change that will benefit the Nigerian workers and the society as a whole,’’ he said.

    He said Ocholi departure would not be forgotten in a hurry.

    Speaking, Mr Ayba Wabba, NLC President, said the late minister had left his indelible footprints in the sands of time.

    Wabba described Ocholi as one of Nigeria’s brightest and finest minds who was cut down alongside his family members when his star was in the ascendancy.

    “It is with a grief-stricken heart that I perform, arguably, one of the most difficult tasks as the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress.

    “As Ocholi’s death is an unspeakable tragedy that numb the senses and he left no one in doubt that he was a trusted ally of Labour.

    “Indeed, Ocholi’s knowledge of labour laws, industrial relations practice and his eagerness to work with social partners in the labour circuit raised hope for the labour movement,’’ he said.

    The president also described Ocholi as a legal luminary, an urbane, a highly cultivated person and an invaluable asset in government-labour relations.
    “What a shame death has robbed us of this priceless and irreplaceable gem. How can we come to terms with this? It is ever so difficult.

    “The least we can do in memory of this illustrious son is to imbibe his noble qualities. We should also go a step further to immortalise his name after him a worthy edifice or institution.
    “Fare thee well, my friend and my brother, Mr James Ocholi, (SAN),’’ Wabba added.

  • NLC to Amosun: drop ‘no work, no pay’ plan

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) at the weekend warned Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun against implementing his “no work, no pay” threat on striking workers.

    It said the strike followed the government’s failure to implement the agreement  it had with the workers.

    Deputy President of the Congress and National President of Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU) Kiri Mohammed said the governor should understand that an agreement it had with the workers cannot be jettisoned.

    Kiri, who is also the chairman of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (Trade Union side), said the workers are on strike due to the government’s failure to pay “full salaries and other deductions”.

    He said: “The attention of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council has been drawn to the ongoing strike by public servants in Ogun State.

    “The Council discovered that the bone of contention  was the government’s failure to implement the Memorandum of Understanding reached with the leadership of Ogun State Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (Trade union side).

    “Council noted that the government has persistently failed to remit its percentage share of the contributory pension and the deductions from workers salaries to the Pension Fund Administrators as provided in 2004 Pension Act as amended.

    “Council also observed that despite the bailout fund Ogun State received from the Federal Government, the state could only pay June 2015 salary in full.

    “The Council unequivocally condemns the payment of salaries haphazardly and calls on the government to implement the agreement signed with the State Joint Public Service Negotiating Council.”

    He maintained that the Buhari administration deserved the support of all Nigerians, including Organised Labour, to salvage the country from the severe economic situation.

  • The ghost of NLC and TUC will soon parade the streets

    Gone are the days when the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) sneeze and any govt of the day catches cold, be it civilian or military. That was when we had responsible and selfless people in the leadership of these organisations, such as Pa Imoudu, Hassan Simonu, Frank Kokori, Chima Ubani  and Adams Oshiomole, the governor of Edo State, just to mention a few of them who  served Nigerian masses meritoriously by carrying the cross of the masses.

    These are people who cared less about their personal welfare and devoid of greed for material wealth. For their love for Nigerians many of them were kept behind bars for challenging governments’ draconian policies that will seriously affected the masses. But what do we have today in NLC and TUC? Self enrichment, greed and materialism which was the cause of in-fighting in these organisations, as it is said that a house divided against itself cannot stand, how then can NLC and TUC fight for the liberation of their members, when it took it more than twelve years to prevail on the National Assembly to approve minimum wages of N18,000 for Nigeria workers while it does not take the National Assembly two months to fix an outrageous salary and allowances for themselves in 1999. The whole country was shouting blue murder but the NLC and TUC kept quiet while the National Assembly continue to self-help themselves to fix their annual budget annually until it reaches N150billion while all right-thinking Nigerians shout themselves hoarse, the NLC and TUC kept quiet till date. One will wonder how they found their voice to challenge electricity distribution companies on the recent tariff increase and even to the extent of planning to picket the companies.”

    A yoruba adage says that “oun ti ani ki okobo bo kole bo, sugbon oni oun le bo abere” which literally means that what a eunuch is asked to do he cannot do it but claimed to be able to fix a thread on the needle. NLC and TUC are not protesting against the humongous salary and allowances of the National Assembly, their proposal to purchase 120 exotic cars for committee work while 90% of 36 states in the country  are unable to pay their workers as at when due.

    The NLC and TUC went on rampage on trivial things like increase on electricity tariff and kerosene, what a shame. If the NLC and TUC cannot mobilise the workers and civil society against the National Assembly to disclose their monthly or annual salary publicly, NLC should shut up forever. They should concentrate on how to increase the purchasing power of their members by way of negotiating a new minimum wage that will truly take the workers home.

    • By Israel Oyegbile

      Sabo Tasha, Kaduna