The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Strike

  • We won’t go on strike, PENGASSAN, NUPENG assure

    The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has said its members would not go on strike.

    Depot owners had threatened to shut down services over issues bordering on non-payment of outstanding subsidy claims.

    The statement by the union came at a time many Nigerians have braced themselves for the usual end of the year scarcity associated with petroleum products in the country.

    But, in a statement signed by PENGASSAN President, Comrade Francis Johnson, the union noted that after series of engagements with government representatives and marketers, coupled with the on-going meetings, consultations and negotiations between the government and oil marketers, they have been assured by the government that the first part of the debt payment will be made not later than December 14, 2018.

    “With this commitment and firm assurance from the government representatives, we have resolved to hold down on taking any action on the issues to allow government fulfil its pledge,” Johnson said.

    While assuring Nigerians that the decision was in the best interest of the nation, the industry as well as job security of its members, the union urged the public to refrain from panic buying or stock piling of petroleum products.

    “Our resolve and decision are purely nationalistic, patriotic and in the overall interest of our great country and we plead for understanding of the general public and all parties in this matter,’’ Johnson said.

    Also, the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) President, Comrade Williams Akporeha, has urged his members to remain calm and continue to provide their services as required always.

    The union leader assured his members and the public that the decision was based on upholding the overall interest of the nation, the industry as well as job security of its members. He urged the public to refrain from panic buying or stockpiling of petroleum products.

    Read also: FMC doctors threaten strike over kidnapping

    Speaking to newsmen after meeting with officials of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and oil marketers’ representatives, Akporeha said they had intervened in the crisis to protect the interest of its members, and that of the country.

    Saying if the subsidy debt issue was not resolved amicably, it might lead to the sack of its members by the oil marketers, Akporeha, however, cautioned its members against joining any strike action not called by the leadership of the unions.

    “Our members should note that until they hear from us, everybody should continue to do their work. If anybody goes against our directive, there are consequences; there are procedures for sanctions,” he said.

    Akporeha assured Nigerians that there would be an unhindered distribution of petroleum products during the yuletide, as its members will not embark on any strike.

  • Stakeholders warn against strike

    The decision by the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) to shut depots is not the solutiion to the problems of the industry, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN)  Vice Chairman,  Southwest, Mr Debo Adesina and the former country’s President, International Association of Energy Economist,(IAEE) Prof Adeola Akinnisiju, have said.

    According to them, the country has experienced the worst industrial action in the sector and that any issue that would further plung the country into crises may not get the support of the stakeholders.

    Adesina said the operators in the downstream sub-sector had waited for their subsidy arrears and were happy that their needs were being attended to by the Federal Government.

    He said stakeholders, especially major and independent marketers, were indisposed to the DAPPMAN’s decision.

    He said IPMAN and the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria(MOMAN) get fuel from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s (NNPC) 20 depots, adding that the issue would not affect them much.

    Debo said: “ Marketers that operate  under the platform of IPMAN and MOMAN are controlling the supply of fuel in the country and as long as they do not participate in any strike, the country would not witness serious industry crises.’’

    He said unity among stakeholders was key to any industrial action, adding that where there is inter and intra crises among the associations, no industrial action would succeed.

    Also, Akinnisiju said the industry is facing many problems, stressing that the industry has serious issues to attend to than a crises that is fostered by a single entity.

    “ At present, the prices of crude oil in the global industry are falling. This is where Nigeria earns 70 per cent of its revenue and, ideally, the government would be interested in seeing how the issue is addressed; rather than closing down the depots,” he said.

    He said the payment of subsidy arrears, which marketers were fighting for, would be addressed soon, adding that the government had taken steps to address the issue.

    He said the issue of closing down the depots cannot solve the problems facing the country, as it would rather compound the situations in the industry.

  • ‘NUPENG, PENGASSAN not going on strike’

    The Oil workers unions have reassured the Federal government that its members would not go on strike over the threat of depot owners to shut down services over issues on payment of outstanding subsidy claims.

    The unions are the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers  (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).

    The unions made this known in a joint statement signed by their presidents Messrs Francis Johnson and Willians Akporeha, in Abuja on Saturday.

    “After series of engagements with government representatives and marketers, coupled with the on-going meetings, consultations and negotiations between the government and oil marketers, we have been assured by government that the first part of the debt payment will be made not later than 14th December.

    “With this commitment and firm assurance from the government representatives, the leadership of NUPENG and PENGASSAN have resolved to hold down on taking any action on the issues to allow government fulfill its pledge.

    “Our members should therefore remain calm and continue to provide their services as required always,’’ it said.

    The unions leaders assured their members and the public that the decisions was based on upholding the overall interest of the nation, the industry as well as job security of its members.

    They urged the public to refrain from panic buying or stock pilling of petroleum products.

    “We firmly believe that the current engagements and discussions among all concerned stakeholders will lead to amicable resolution of matters at hand.

    “Our resolve and decision are purely nationalistic, patriotic and in overall interest of our great country and we plead for understanding of the general public and all parties in this matter,’’ they said.

  • Polytechnic lecturers to go on strike from December 12

    The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP)  has declared its intention to begin on a nationwide strike from Wednesday, 12th of December,  2018.

    In a phone interview with our Correspondent,  the National President of ASUP,  Usman Dutse said it has become the strike has become imminent  because the Federal Government had failed to meet with the demands of Polytechnics Lecturers.

    The union has given a 21 day ultimatum on the 2nd of October,  2018.

    Dutse said the proposed strike this December would be total and indefinite. The decision was made at the 93rd National Executive Council Meeting at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos last week.

    “Government has failed to implement and fulfill agreements it has reached with the union and contained in the memorandum of Understanding signed,” Dutse stated.

    “The issue of Funding of the Institutions has always been a major concern. The Government over the years have always been breaking their promises. There are other reasons bothering on the roles of the State Government and the National Assembly.

    “The Institutions are not funded. The states are even worse because state governments just establish schools without actually funding those schools, so we don’t have infrastructure in place to aid learning. The Strike we embarked upon was to make sure there was a review on the act on the establishment of Polytechnics in countries” he added

    The President also accused some state governments of owing salaries of their workers up to 14 months, just as institutions victimize union leaders who speak out against  injustice.

    “We hoped that the strike would make the Government look into improving the condition of service and the payment of additional allowances government owed Polytechnics Lecturers” he added

    Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have been on strike for three weeks  over the poor funding of the Federal Universities in the country.

  • Strike: Fed Govt, ASUU peace talks to continue

    A SCHEDULED meeting between the Federal Government and striking varsity teachers’ body, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), ended in a deadlock last night.

    The meeting which started at about 5pm at the Federal Ministry of Education was called to find a lasting solution to the ongoing strike by the lecturers.

    ASUU members embarked on the strike three weeks ago over the poor funding of Nigerian universities and non-implementation of previous agreements by the government.

    The union’s National President, Biodun Ogunyemi, told reporters after the meeting that negotiation was still ongoing and that the parties would reconvene at a later date.

    “All I can say for now is that negotiation continues and the meeting has been adjourned to a later date,” Ogunyemi said.

    The union leader had earlier given the implementation of the 2017 agreement between both parties and the dissolution of the Wale Babalakin –led Federal Government Negotiation Committee as conditions to make the teachers shelve the strike.

    The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education Services, Aminu Suleiman, expressed concern over the lingering ASUU strike during an oversight visit Education Minister Adamu Adamu.

    According to a statement issued by the spokesperson Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, the minister told his guests that the Federal Government was determined to “confine the strikes in education sector to the dustbin of history, adding however that funding remains the greatest obstacle”.

  • ASUU strike effective in Lagos

    The Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter, Dr Dele Ashiru, has confirmed that lecturers of the university would comply with the national strike announced by the union on Monday.

    The ASUU chapter at the Lagos State University (LASU) is also on strike.

    Dr Ashiru said the UNILAG chapter had joined the strike even though as at the time The Nation spoke with him, the university was on holiday and he was yet to brief members about the ASUU NEC meeting he attended where the decision to start the strike was taken in Akure.

    Speaking at the UNILAG ASUU Secretariat on Monday, Ashiru said: “The University of Lagos chapter has joined the strike that we suspended in November 2017. The strike is comprehensive, total and indefinite. I have just returned from the NEC in Akure; I have scheduled an ExCO meeting for 1pm where we will deliberate on the issues raised at the NEC. After that we will call a congress on Tuesday.”

    Ashiru justified the strike, saying the Union had given the Federal Government enough time to fulfil the 2009 Agreement between both parties, which was due for re-negotiation in 2013. He said out of the N1.3 trillion the government ought to have provided for the revitalization of infrastructure in public universities, only N200 billion had been paid. He said the money was meant to improve facilities in public universities, lamenting that the government did not prioritise education. He also said the government was owing ASUU members earned academic allowances.

    Read Also: NYSC warns corps members against joining proposed strike by NLC

    “Our union entered an agreement since 2009. Only specific part of the agreement was implemented. In 2012, there was a Memorandum of Agreement; in 2013, there was another Memorandum of Agreement. The government promised to inject N1.3 trillion into the university system. It has not been done. The Jonathan government paid N200 billion. Only recently, when the govenremnt realized we were mobilizing for strike that they lied that they released N20 billion to ASUU, which was not true. From 2013 to date, our members have not been paid earned academic allowances,” Ashiru said.

    The Lagos State University (LASU) chapter of the union also announced it had joined the nationwide strike.

    “ASUU-LASU is fully on strike. Once the national ASUU declares a strike, we have no option but to join. It is not a matter of choice,” said Dr Tony Dansu, Secretary, ASUU-LASU, on phone.

  • Polytechnic lecturers suspend planned strike action

    The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) has suspended its planned nationwide strike to protest lack of government attention to technical education in the country and the implementation of government agreement with the unions.

    The Union had issued a 21 day ultimatum, threatening to commence an indefinite strike from November 2, but said in a statement after its National Executive Council meeting that it was suspending the planned strike to give government ample opportunity to address its demands.

    National President of the Union, Usman Dutse said the union was satisfied by with steps being taken  the government to address the union’s demands and therefore decided to give them the opportunity to concritise efforts being made to  address their demands.

    The statement reads in part: “Our union had brought to the notice of government the urgent need to attend to the sector that has suffered under the throes of gross under-funding which has engendered under-growth in all aspects of the polytechnic system.

    “Our union is particularly worried that state institutions are the worse off. Salaries are still owed in many state owned institutions with some owed up to ten months arrears, especially in Abia, Adamawa, Benue, Edo, |mo, Kogi, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, and Oyo.

    “Managements and Governing Councils have been recalcitrant and persistently trample on union officials in our various chapters by arbitrary suspension and sacking of officials and outright mis-representation in administration of the institutions, non-implementation of the Needs assessment; delay in accenting to the Amendment of the Polytechnic Act, victimisation of union officials, withdrawal of allowances and persistent shortfalls in personnel releases to Polytechnics as well  as the lethargy shown by government in the renegotiation of the union’s 2010 agreement.

    “These were compounded by the deployment of arm twisting measures in forcing our members into the IPPIS module without addressing the union’s concerns.

    “This continued neglect and seeming government’s indifference on issues concerning the polytechnic sector led to our union’s twenty-one day ultimatum which expired on the 23rd October, 2018.

    “Following this ultimatum, our union has had engagements with government and its agencies. Particularly worth mentioning was the meeting of 18th October, 2018 between our union and the government represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Education with representatives from the NBTE and Budget and Planning. At this meeting government exhibited considerable concerns to prioritise the challenges of the polytechnic sector towards ameliorating them.

    “Rising from the emergency meeting of NEC therefore, the Union In consideration of the appeals by the government and commitments to resolving the issues In dispute, resolved to put Its planned industrial action on hold to allow government more time to concretise its promises on our demands.
    The union also resolved to reconvene its NEC meeting by the end of November, 2013 to assess the progress made and take appropriate actions.

    “The union is in gratitude to its teeming members, as well as members of the public for their support so far even as we pledge to sustain the struggle  for a better teaching and learning environment,  welfare conditions and brighter future for our  graduates  and technical education in the country.”

  • No-work, no-pay principle to apply during strike – FEC

    The Federal Executive Council ( FEC ) has approved the implementation of the no-work, no pay principle when workers go on strike in the federal public service.

    Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, disclosed this on Wednesday in the Presidential Villa, Abuja while briefing State House Correspondents after FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He said the approval was sequel to the adoption of the Draft White Paper on the Report of the Technical Committee on Industrial Relations Matters in the Federal Public Service.

    Ngige said that the public service in Nigeria was bedevilled by problems and conflict areas; hence governments over time set up various committees and brought out circulars in a bid to stem the tide of industrial dispute.

    The minister said that the technical committee, which was inaugurated on April 27, 2016, did their work and submitted to the FEC in Oct. 2017.

    “FEC in turn, empanelled a committee of ten which I chaired to do a government Draft White Paper on those contentious areas that the technical committee had looked at.

    “These contentious areas are enforcement of section 43 of the Trade Dispute Act Law of the Federation 2004; this is the section that deals with lockout of workers by their employers without declaring redundancy appropriately.

    “Because in some establishments, especially in the private sector, workers are locked out by their employers; so the law there says that if you lock your workers without passing through the normal channel-due process.

    “For the period of the lock out, the worker is assumed to be at work and will receive all the remunerations and allowances, benefits accruing to him for the period and that period will also be counted for him as a pensionable period in the computation of his pension.

    “But when workers go on strike, the principle of no-work-no-pay will also apply because that principle is enshrined in the same section 43 of the Labour Act.’’

    According to Ngige, the section says that for the period a worker withdraws his services, government or his employers are not entitled to pay.

    The minister said that under the section, the period for which the worker was absent would not count as part of his pensionable period in the public service.

    He said that FEC accepted it as a white paper recommendation that should be gazetted because even the National Industrial Court had made pronouncement on that law and said that it was clear.

    Ngige said that another area was the issue of public servants remaining permanently in the executive bodies on trade unions.

    “Government realises that some persons in the public service go into trade union executive positions; hold offices; and they do that for life; for as long as they are in the service.

    “In doing so, they will refuse postings and deployments under the guise that are doing trade union activities; government says no.

    “You have to be a public servant first before you become a trade unionist; therefore, if you are there; the public service rules will also apply to you.

    Read Also: Senate endorses FG’s $2.786 bn foreign loan

    “And in doing so, government says establishments will look at the issues and give it a human face in order not to disrupt trade unionism.

    “And in furtherance to this, government has also said that there must tenure stipulations because people stay there without tenure; many organisations give people union positions without tenure; government says there is no office that does not have tenure.’’

    Ngige said that trade unions, henceforth, should present constitutions that must have tenures; at least, maximum of two tenures for any elective position.

    He said that another aspect of the report discussed by the council was the issue of residence training for medical doctors.

    According to him, the residence training for medical doctors has been contentious one as some medical doctors come into this training and become professional unionists and stay there as permanent job.

    He said that the Federal Government had fixed tenure for residence training of medical doctors, which was seven years within the trainee was to pass all his exams or quit.

    Ngige said that FEC also looked at the Ayere report on inter-professional rivalry in the health sector and directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to present it FEC for deliberation.

    On the minimum wage, the minister restated that the Federal Government’s stance was N24, 000 per month.

    He said that once minimum wage was fixed, any organisation or state that had the capacity to pay more could do that.

    Ngige cited that Edo, Delta and Lagos states paid their workers more than the current N18, 000 national minimum wage.

  • Breaking: NLC suspends strike over minimum wage

    The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has suspended the nationwide strike over minimum wage.

  • Labour may suspend minimum wage strike today

    There are indications that the warning strike called by organized labour to compel government to resume the suspended negotiations on the new national minimum wage will be suspended today (Sunday)

    It was gathered that the decision to suspend the strike may not be unconnected with the intervention of the Presidency through the office of the Chief of Staff to the President.

    The Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari was said to have  assured a delegation led by President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba to the presidential Villa that the President will address the concerns of labour upon his return to the country from the United Nations General Assembly.

    With the assurance, Kyrai appealed to labour movement to suspend the strike immediately.

    Reassuring as the outcome of the discussion with Kyari appeared to the labour delegation, Wabba stressed that the decision to suspend the action was not entirely in that of the National Administrative Council (NAC), but other organs of both NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC).

    The various organs of organised labour are said yo have met to review the government position and may have decided to suspend the action.

    Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige had said the tripathite Committee will resume sitting on Thursday October 4 to conclude it’s assignment.