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Tag: no work

  • Fed Govt’s ‘no work, no pay rule’ vindictive, says NLC

    THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused the government of being vindictive in its application of labour laws.

    It  insisted that Nigerian workers will not accept being turned into slaves in their own country as a result of government’s selective application of the laws.

    The congress, in a statement yesterday,  said the decision by government to invoke the “no work, no pay rule” on striking workers was an attempt to intimidate them into accepting unfriendly labour practices.

    It added that the struggle by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) did not start today, while government has consistently failed to meet its own side of the bargain.

    The statement signed by the Acting President, Comrade Lawal Dutsinma reads: “The attention of the NLC, has been drawn to a memo by the Federal Government dated November 29, 2018, directing Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities to apply the “No Work… No Pay” rule. We understand that the Federal Government has since rescinded this order.

    “Nonetheless, Nigerian workers are concerned that for the umpteenth time, the Federal Government and many state governments have resorted to bullying and draconian threats in dealing with matters that strictly reside in the domain of industrial relations. This is truly sad, highly unfortunate and extremely provoking.

    “We recall that the current struggle by ASUU for improved conditions of learning in our public universities is not the first time that the Federal Government is issuing the “No Work… No Pay” threat. During the last warning strike by the NLC on the new national minimum wage, Minister of Labour and Productivity Dr. Chris Ngige issued a “No Work… No Pay” threat against workers.

    “Also, during the last nationwide strike action by health workers, the Federal Government did not only issue a “No Work… No Pay” threat, it went ahead to implement it. Till now, government still withholds about three months of salaries due to health workers.

    “The Nigeria Labour Congress considers the application of the “No Work… No Pay” rule as an autocratic attempt to cow workers into abandoning their legitimate demand for decent wages, conducive work spaces and social justice…

    “We warn government at all levels to desist from using the “No Work… No Pay” rule to shirk away from their responsibilities. We also demand immediate release of workers’ salaries withheld on the account of “No Work… No Pay” rule.

    “Also, we ask government to respect agreements it freely entered into with ASUU to restore normalcy and sanity to our public institutions of learning, especially our universities. Our children have suffered enough already. Enough is enough.”

  • No work today in Ondo

    Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has declared  today, August 30 as work-free day for civil servants in Ondo State.

    This followed a resolution of the State Executive Council, which called for a work-free day to allow public servants participate in the continous voters registration, which is scheduled to close tomorrow.

    In a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation,Yemi Olowolabi, the governor called on the people to take full advantage to the opportunity to register and obtain their permanent voters cards.

    This, he said, would  enable them to cast their votes in the forthcoming general elections.

    The statement said workers are expected back at work tomorrow.

     

  • Fed Govt invokes ‘no work, no pay’ rule, health workers allege

    •Union condemns action

    STRIKING health workers under the auspices of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) have accused the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole and his officials of resorting to acts of intimidation by withholding their salaries for April.

    The government had earlier threatened to invoke the “no work, no pay” policy, if the health workers go on strike.

    Investigation by The Nation revealed that the workers have not been paid their April salaries, even though the strike started mid-April.

    JOHESU National Chairman Biobelemoye Joy Josiah, who spoke with The Nation yesterday, also said they were yet to be served the court order asking them to call off the strike and return to work immediately.

    He added that even though he has asked the Ministry of Labour to ask the Industrial Court to serve them, they were yet to be served.

    Josiah said the ministry for deciding to apply the “no work, no pay policy” was taking the wrong approach since the law stipulates that any worker who worked for half of the month is entitled to his salary.

    He said: “Actually, that is one of the most unfortunate things that has happened. It is a devilish one. That goes to show you how the Ministry of Health that has been converted to Ministry of Doctors will stop at nothing to intimidate our people in an attempt to prevent them from fighting for their rights.

    “Everybody knows that if somebody worked half of a month, he is entitled to his salary. Even if they want to be the devil to implement the ‘no work, no pay policy” after giving them 66 days’ notice, we believe that we will get to that point after the strike.

    “We gave them notice and met all conditions and they decided to instigate the strike because they feel that they have a weapon to use and in a draconian way, they have decided to implement that.

    “Again, they are implementing it wrongly because if I have worked and you say ‘no work, no pay’, and you think that is correct, you will only have to take away that part that I did not work. But they have taken everything, and we will get to that point because since they know how to go to court, after the strike, we will also challenge them and demand damages because they are owing us.”

    The JOHESU Chairman said even though their lawyers has filed an appeal and stay of execution against the court’s order asking them to return to work, they were yet to be officially served the court order, eight days after it was made.

    He dismissed claims that the order was served on them through substituted service.

    He said the court could not have made any order of substituted service of its order since JOHESU has not rejected service, but were rather asking to be served the order in accordance with the law.

    He said: “As I speak with you right now, I have not been served the court order. The other day, when they called us for a meeting, I sent them a message and also told the Minister of Labour that they have been banding around the existence of a court order, I have not seen any order of court served on us. I only travelled for one day to honour the invitation from DSS. Now, I have not seen any order. So, please, tell Industrial Court to serve us the court order.

    “I even sent a message when they brought us the invitation letter for a meeting that they should tell the Industrial Court to come and serve us the court order.”

     

     

     

     

  • Don’t force govt. to invoke no work, no pay rule – Ngige

    Don’t force govt. to invoke no work, no pay rule – Ngige

    Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has warned striking none teaching staff of Nigerian Universities not to Force the government into invoking the relevant sections of the Labour laws of no work, no pay against them, asking them to immediately call of their indefinite strike action and make a fresh case for “skewed disbursement of the N23 billion released to the Universities.

    In a state signed by the Deputy Director, Press in the Ministry, Samuel Olowookore, the Minister said the government was fully complied with the 12 point demands contained in the memorandum of settlement signed between the unions and the government on September 20, 2017.

    Ngige asked the union leaders to stop misguiding their members and avoid pushing the Federal Government to a situation where it will invoke the relevant section of the labour laws on No Work, No Pay, saying it will be disastrous in the season of Christmas and end of the year if implemented.

    According to him, the Federal Government has not only fully met all the twelve-point condition raised in the Memorandum of Settlement reached  with the Non-Teaching Staff of Federal Universities on September 20, 2017 but has also complied faithfully with the timelines for the implementation of the agreement .

    The non-teaching staff of Nigerian Universities made up of Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) National Association of Academic Technologists(NAAT) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) operating under the acronym of the Joint Action Committe on Monday commenced a nationwide strike accusing the government of deceit and not living by the agreement signed with them.

    But while disputing the claims of the unions, the Minister asked them to call off the on-going indefinite strike and make a fresh case in respect of its reservation on the implementation of the Point One of the Agreement concerning the disbursement of the N23 billion Naira Earned Allowances.

    Ngige said it was important for Nigerians to be informed that the Federal Government has fully complied with its own part of the agreement and asked the non-teaching staff of universities not to blame the Federal Government for what the striking unions termed the “skewed disbursement formula” for the N23 billion Earned Allowances released by the Federal Government.

    According to him, “The Joint Action Committee of Non-Teaching Staff came with twelve-point demand. We sat over it and agreed on all, on September 20, 2017. As I speak, the Federal Government has fully implemented the major contemporary issues such as payment of shortfalls, registration with PENCOM etc. in the agreement.

    “The only grievance the unions have today is that the modality for the disbursement of the N23 billion the Federal Government released for the settlement of earned allowances is skewed against them.

    “But I advised them during the negotiation to call off their strike when it entered the fifth day and quickly forward their own template for accessing this N23 billion meant for the academic and non-academic staff of the universities, since the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had already submitted. They bluntly refused and dragged the strike for weeks.”

    The Minister however said that nothing has been lost and urged the unions to make a fresh case for inclusion in the 2018 budget, adding that the Federal Government was willing to address this, urging the unions to immediately call off their strike.

    Ngige flawed the argument that “they only resumed an old strike,” saying that a strike which has been adequately conciliated, called off, and the terms of agreement implemented, cannot yield itself as a basis for resumption of the same action. “If the unions under JAC are embarking on a fresh strike, they are yet to comply with the relevant sections of the Labour Laws for embarking on action.”

  • PENGASSAN kicks over no-work, no-pay order

    PENGASSAN kicks over no-work, no-pay order

    The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has decried plans by the federal government to enforce the no-work, no-pay clause.

    Speaking in an interview, Francis Olabode Johnson, the National President of PENGASSAN said no union worth its salt would instigate workers to go on strike without following the laid down procedures.

    “No union will just wake up and say we are shutting down. If a union is giving you 21 days, I believe that to avoid a situation of no work, no pay, you should nip it in the bud. You don’t wait till the expiration of those 21 days. Even after those 21 days, we still give 14 days’ notice to see whether there is seriousness in addressing the issues. In most cases, they ignore it, only to start running from one place to the other later and now wants to invoke the law of no work, no pay,” he said.

    The PENGASSAN boss, who said the union won’t support the no work, no pay policy, maintained that the federal government needs to be advised against taking any such rash decision.

    Waxing philosophical, Olabode said: “If you have a child who is sick, are you going to wait till that child has a relapse of have issues that will cost you more harm? As a parent, you try to nip that in the bud by giving him medical attention. When unions are pushed to the wall, they fight back and that is why we go on strike.”

    While reiterating that the union will not support the issue of no work, no pay under any circumstances, the labour leader said, “No union worth its salt will just wake up and shut down without following the lay down procedures. That is not possible. Except that union has given you 21 days, follow it up with another 14 days and yet another 7 days. In 2014, we gave government 21 days, followed by another 14 days and another 7 days. After the expiration of that, we still waited for about four days before we went on strike. Those are the issues.”

    While commenting on the vexatious agitation for minimum wage, the labour leader said it is disheartening to note that most elected public officials are living in luxury but would readily deny workers their dues.

    Short of blaming the lawmakers for their insensitivity, a visibly angry Olabode was unsparing of in his criticism: “Senators buy cars and accessories running into several millions but workers go home with pittance.”

    Raising some posers, he queried: “How much is the minimum wage? That is why the unity of labour is also important because I have seen different figures being paraded by labour leaders. If we don’t unite, we may lose this opportunity to make sure that Nigerians get a well deserved living wage because N18,000 is nothing. You find out that some states are not even paying that N18,000 despite the Paris Club refund. That is why I said the NLC, TUC and all of us team up. In a situation where states owe salaries running into months is ungodly.”

  • Fed Govt threatens no-work, no-pay for striking workers

    Fed Govt threatens no-work, no-pay for striking workers

    •Minister appeals to varsity unions to call off warning strike

    Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige yesterday reminded trade unions that there was nothing like warning strike in the nation’s industrial relations circles.
    In a statement he personally signed last night, Ngige warned that the government might be forced to invoke the no-work and no-pay rule on striking workers.
    The minister said in accordance with the nation’s labour laws, “a strike is a strike and is subject to all the rules governing strike in the world of work”
    He appealed to members of the non-teaching workers of universities to call off their five-day warning strike and embrace the channels of dialogue already opened by the government.
    Ngige said the government was committed to the resolution of issues affecting the workers, adding that a meeting called by the government to discuss the issues had to be rescheduled at the instance of the unions.
    The statement reads: “I wishes to appeal to the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Non – Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), who have jointly declared intention to embark on a five-day warning strike effective January 16, 2017 to suspend action in the interest of the nation.
    “I wish to assure that the Federal Government is ready and willing to fully dialogue with the members of these trade unions, operating under the umbrella of Joint Action Committee. Government has already opened an unhindered channel of communication with all stakeholders and shall maintain this.
    “Today (Monday January, 16, 2017), I convened a meeting of all stakeholders in dispute for us to ventilate all issues and reach amicable settlement. Unfortunately, the trade unions requested for a different date, and the meeting is now re-scheduled for Wednesday, January 18, 2017.
    “The Federal Government, therefore, expects that the trade unions should suspend the strike before the re-scheduled meeting to make way for untrammeled discussions.
    “It is important for trade unions to embrace social dialogue in the pursuit and attainment of the economic and social interests of their members anchored on equity and natural justice.
    “I hence thought it necessary to remind the trade unions that there is nothing like a “warning strike” in our National Industrial Relations System (NIRS) – a strike is a strike and is subject to all the rules governing strike in the world of work.
    “Accordingly, the provisions of Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Act, CAP. T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN), 2004, will apply regarding the law of “no-work and no-pay by workers/employees, notwithstanding any other circumstances in any section of the Act.”
    “Once more, I wish to appeal to the trade unions to embrace dialogue as the Federal Government is fully committed to peaceful resolution of what the unions termed ‘Full Implementation of 2009 FGN/Non-Teaching Staff Union’s Agreement’.

  • Strike: No pay, no work, UCH doctors insist

    The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, has said its members will not resume work until their three months salary are paid.

    The national body has called off the four-week strike.

    The UCH doctors’ decision was taken on Saturday at the association’s congress.

    When The Nation visited the hospital at the weekend, all the wards, except the Special Care and Intensive Care units, where there were a few patients, were shut.

    The association’s President, Babatunde Babasanya, said: “We have a few patients on admission in the Special Care Unit and Intensive Care Unit. Because those patients cannot be discharged, we agreed to take care of them. There are no new admissions there.

    “There are not many patients in the general wards. Those there are stable. Some of them are only waiting for one or two things to be done before they are discharged.

    “It is a pity that a lot of people who might have been saved by our expertise and the facilities available here are not saved because of the ongoing strike.

    “The technicality is that we are not really on strike. We were at work in August and September and the government did not pay us. The average doctor could not find his way to the hospital because of cash crunch.

    “When schools resumed in September, a lot of us had to appeal to our children’s teachers to allow them into the schools because we had not fulfilled our financial obligations.

    “Many of these factors play a major role when we treat patients and it could get to the point when doctors make mistakes because they are not thinking straight. It becomes a matter of life and death. Before it gets to that point, we need to save ourselves and save the community. That is the major reason for the strike.

    “We have had several meetings with the Federal Government, which was represented by the ministries of Health and Labour. The last we had was with the Ministry of Labour. We have put in place a lot of checks and balances. A lot of agreements have been reached and the way forward proffered.

    “On salary arrears, we have established a task force to go round the 16 centres across the six geo-political zones to clarify how much doctors are being owed, how many doctors are actually on ground and why we have not been paid from the amount released by the Federal Government.”

    Babasanya spoke of the shootage of cash that is threatening the hopsital.

    He said: “We learnt that the Federal Government disbursed some money to these centres. For example, N40 million was disbursed to UCH for the salary of resident doctors and house officers. But the money is not enough to pay our salary. At UCH, we have 200 house officers, who earn N200,000 monthly. If you multiply 200 by N200,000, that is N40 million. So the money cannot cover the salary of residents and house officers. We really need the task force in Ibadan to establish who authorised N40 million for UCH and how much is needed.

    “I have asked chief residents to collate the numbers of residents in UCH so that we can be sure of our figures. An estimate value of salary for residents and house officers will run into N200 million monthly. So, if you say N40 million, you have not started. The hospital cannot pay that N40 million because it will cause more chaos, as only a few people will be paid.”

    He went on: “We are waiting for the task force. It could not come earlier because of the issue of finances in Abuja, but that has been sorted out. We are expecting it on Monday (today), so there can be no justification for calling off the strike before the task force effects the payment.

    “On residency training, an inter-ministerial committee is being set up to address it. The Ministry of Labour and other ministries promised that residency training will be captured in the 2014 budget and we have decided to trust them. If we see the 2014 budget and residency training is not captured there, then we will know they have reneged on the promise. For now, we trust them.

    “The only thing we are working on now is salary, which is important, so that resident doctors can have some money to mobilise themselves.”