The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Strike

  • Strike goes on as Labour leaders consult

    Labour leaders yesterday left a meeting with the Federal Government with a promise to consult their members on the request to call off the seven-day warning strike they called over the delay in arriving at a new minimum wage.

    The strike paralysed government offices and government schools nationwide but failed to cripple banking. Private school owners also shunned it.

    The labour leaders met with Chief of Staff to the President Abba Kyari, who said he invited them to know exactly what stalled the ongoing negotiation on minimum wage.

    Kyari assured the unions, comprising executives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the United Labour Congress (ULC), that talks on the minimum wage would be reopened.

    Minister of Labour Dr. Chris Ngige said it would reopen on October 4.

    NLC President Ayuba Wabba said they had a fruitful deliberation with the Chief of Staff and that the discussion will be taken to labour. He declined to give a date when the strike would be called off.

    He said members of the delegation would meet again on the next step to follow in line with labour norms.

    Wabba said: “The Chief of Staff tried to give us detail of government’s position, which we will have to go and convey to our members and then we can revert to him.

    “This is how far we have gone, but clearly I think we have tried to share details of the information pertaining to the issue of the National Minimum Wage and how the ongoing negotiation was stalled and also the best way to get out of it.

    “The strike, as you are aware, is called by a larger organ. Until we get their mandate, we can’t make any pronouncement on the strike.

    “All the discussion we have had, we will communicate to our members and therefore it is the outcome of our meeting with our members that we will also communicate to government.

    “We are also here on representative capacity. Even as leaders, they also lead us.”

    But some members of the delegation, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the strike would not be called off immediately, claiming that the government had enough time to discuss with labour but chose to be lukewarm.

    “The Chief of Staff was begging us to call off the strike but it is not possible now. If we do it, our members will lynch us,” one of them said.

    The Labour Minister on Wednesday said the four- member sub-committee, which was mandated to have a holistic review on the Minimum Wage, could not conclude on Tuesday as planned because some of them were part of the  President’s  delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

    After his meeting with the labour leaders, Ngige said: ‘The meeting was, in fact, successful as both the Federal Government team led by the Minister of Labour and Employment and the leadership of organised labour agreed to reconvene the meeting of the National Minimum Wage Committee on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018.

    ” This is to give enough time for the National  Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission to round off the assignment given to it.

    ”As a result, labour agreed to reach out to its organs of leadership with the October 4th resumption date as demanded by its National Executive Council with a view to suspending the proposed strike, ” the minister said.

    The government is also keeping its proposal of the amount it could afford to pay to its chest until the sub-committee’s report is submitted.

    Though discussions on the Ama Pepple-led Minimum Wage Committee was supposed to be rounded off in August, the Federal Government dragged it to September.

    In Lagos yesterday, many banks shunned the strike call. Those around Alausa in Ikeja were compelled by Labour leasers to shut down.

    Many of the banks on Victoria Island, Lagos had full services going on. Cash deposits, withdrawals and foreign currency operations were all in progress at the GTBank, FirstBank, Diamond Bank, First City Monument Bank, and Fidelity Bank branches along the Adetokunbo Ademola branches of the lender

  • Strike may affect workers’ salaries, warns AGF

    The continued labour unrest in the country could deny workers their salaries, the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, has warned.

    A statement by Ifeanyi Okereke, For: Head of Press and Public Relations (OAGF), Ahmed Idris, said  the payment of salaries cannot be achieved in an atmosphere where the critical stakeholders are not allowed access to their offices.”

    The AGF said: “Salary payment involves a number of processes that do not begin and end with the OAGF. There are other critical stakeholders  like the Cash Management Department in the Ministry of Finance and others that are supposed to do their beat before we can finalise.

    “We have a standing order from Mr. President to pay workers salaries from the 25th of every month, which we have striven hard to fulfill to Nigerian workers  and this month will not be an exception,” Idris stated. t  He said on coming to the office ysterday, “we met the gates of the office locked and wondered how we can keep this promise if we are being locked out of the office.

    “After speaking with the local arm of the Labour in the office on the need to pay salaries, they conceded to allow me and some of my staff in, but the Gates are still locked. I therefore appeal to labour to open our gates so that we can have unhindered access to meet their needs”.

    The AGF appealed to the National Leadership of Labour to reconsider their stand on the on-going strike  saying that the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari more than ever has demonstrated high commitment towards meeting the welfare of the Nigerian Workers.

    Idris urged Labour to trust President Muhammadu Buhari “and return to the path of discussion, and negotiation, as the President has demonstrated enough commitment by setting up the tripartite committee.  The  committee which is headed by Ms. Amal Pepple is saddled with the responsibility of consulting widely with stakeholders with a view to coming up with a realistic and acceptable minimum wage.”

  • Strike may delay Fed workers’ salaries, AGF warns

    ACCOUNTANT-General of the Federation (AGF) Ahmed Idris has warned that the labour strike might delay workers’ salaries.

    The warning came as the seven-day strike ordered by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) paralysed activities at federal secretariat, Abuja.

    According to a statement signed by Ifeanyi Okereke, for Head of Press and Public Relations (OAGF), Idris said the payment of salaries would not be achieved in an atmosphere where his workers were not allowed access to their offices.

    The AGF noted that “salary payment involves a number of processes that do not begin and end with the OAGF”.

    “There are other critical stakeholders like the Cash Management Department in Ministry of Finance and others who are supposed to do their job before we can finalise.

    “We have a standing order from Mr. President to pay workers’ salaries from the 25th of every month, which we have striven hard to fulfill to Nigerian workers and this month will not be an exception,” the AGF said.

    Idris added: “On coming to the office this morning (yesterday), we met the gates of the office locked and wondered how we can keep this promise if we are being locked out of the office.  After speaking with the local arm of the Labour in the office on the need to pay salaries, they conceded to allow me and some of my staff in, but the gates were still locked. I, therefore, appeal to labour to open our gates so that we can have unhindered access to meet their needs.”

    The AGF appealed to the labour leadership to reconsider their stand on the on-going strike, saying the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari had demonstrated high commitment towards meeting workers’ welfare.

    He urged labour to trust Buhari “and return to the path of discussion and negotiation”.

    According to Idris, the President has demonstrated enough commitment by setting up the tripartite committee.

    The committee, which is headed by Ms Amal Pepple, is saddled with the responsibility of consulting widely with stakeholders with a view to coming up with a realistic and acceptable minimum wage.

    He cautioned: “We are all working for the same system and we should do nothing that could threaten the economy and lead to the collapse of the same system.”

    The AGF had at the end of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee meeting (FAAC) on Wednesday promised that salaries of Federal Government’s workers would be paid.

    But public and civil servants in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) stayed away from their offices, which locked.

    In compliance with the strike, the gate of the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, the Court of Appeal, Ministries and agencies within the FCT were locked.

    The Ministries of Finance, Foreign Affairs and Environment were also closed as union members used their vehicles to block the entrance to some of the buildings.

    Also, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) was empty as only few senior staff members were seen reporting for work.

    Few other senior officers, who had reported for work, were seen sitting idle at the gate and discussing in groups at the federal secretariat, Abuja.

    Some school children in uniforms, who had reported for school, were seen returning homes due to the strike.

    Some of the public school teachers said they were not informed about the strike, and therefore, turned their pupils and students back.

    However, the strike had little impact on the social and commercial activities in some satellite towns Kubwa, Mararaba, Karu, Gwagwalada among others in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Protesters were sighted at the federal secretariat with placards with different inscriptions that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should investigate and prosecute the alleged fraud and sabotage of the nation’s power sector.

    The protester later matched to the EFCC office to submit the petition.

  • Strike: we must sell fuel, says IPMAN

    The Vice President, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Alhaji Abubakar Maigandi, yesterday said that members of the association must sell their petroleum products, because they are not part of the industrial action declared by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) .

    He condemned the decision of the organised labour to go on strike now that the government is making frantic efforts to make petroleum products available despite all the disadvantages that it faces.

    Maigandi, told The Nation  that IPMAN was completely against the strike.

    He however called on the striking labour to return to the negotiation table with the government in the interest of peace.

    His words: “We are going to sell fuel. Our association is not part of the strike, and we are totally against it because the government is doing good things. We have availability of the petroleum products, and the masses are very happy to go the various stations and take their fuel.

    “Definitely, Independent Petroleum Marketers, we are are not in support of the strike. And we are still appealing to the organized labour to come back immediately for the interest of peace so that they can negotiate with the government.”

    The organised labour commenced its industrial action on Monday morning over government’s refusal to implement the new national minimum wage.

    Meanwhile, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, has appealed to motorists and other consumers of petroleum products across the country, not to engage in panic buying of products over the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) planned industrial action.

    Baru said the Federal Government was seriously engaging the NLC on the issues it raised, a release by NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, stated yesterday (Wednesady) in Abuja.

    Ughamadu quoted the NNPC GMD as affirming that the Nation had 37- day petroleum Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise called petrol, self- sufficiency, assuring that all the NNPC’s depots across the country, including the private ones engaged by the corporation on throughput basis, have an abundance of petroleum products to meet the needs of Nigerians.

  • ASUU threatens strike over 2017 agreement

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has threatened to embark on a nationwide strike if the federal government fails to implement the 2017 FGN/ASUU agreement.

    Prof. Lawan Abubakar, the Bauchi Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, at a news conference on Thursday in Jos, expressed surprise that the federal government has yet to implement the various agreements aimed at revitalising public universities, as agreed in 2017.

    “ASUU and the federal government signed an agreement on the revitalisation of the universities and the payment of arrears of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA). We also agreed that the EAA be captured in 2018 universities budgets.

    “We also agreed on the need for adequate budgetary allocation to education in line with the UNESCO minimum standard of 26 per cent,” he said.

    Abubakar regretted that only 7 per cent of the total 2018 budget was allocated to the education sector, and called for the immediate release of the N20 billion revitalisation funding.

    He enjoined members of the public to put pressure on the federal government to live up to its national responsibility by honouring agreements and MoUs so as to avoid disruptions in academic activities. (NAN)

  • Labour insists on strike as Fed Govt reconvenes wage panel for Oct 4

    THE Federal Government has bowed to pressure by organised labour to reconvene the tripartite committee on the new national minimum wage.

    It announced that the committee, which adjourned sine die on September 4, will reconvene on October 4 to conclude its assignment and submit its report to President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige, at a meeting with organised labour in his office, said the two weeks ultimatum issued by labour leaders demanding the government reconvene the committee did not get to him.

    He noted that the issue would have been addressed scientifically.

    But the announcement by the Minister did not stop the proposed warning strike as organised labour insisted that the strike, which began midnight yesterday, would go ahead till further notice.

    It noted that when labour issued their notice, the government did not bother to call for consultation and dialogue to avert the strike.

    The tripartite committee on the new National minimum wage which was supposed to conclude its report on the 21st of August, 2018 adjourned sine die at the instance of the government team on the excuse that the government needed more time to consult and arrive at a figure.

    The adjournment did not go down well with labour leaders who accused the government of deliberately frustrating the process.

    The minister, who met with the labour leaders on government’s position, said the Buhari government has shown in several ways that it was a labour-friendly government.

    He added that government would keep showing its Labour-friendly disposition.

    Ngige said: “One of the ways that we are going to show it is by implementing the new national minimum wage and this we need to fix a base for the lowest paid worker in Nigeria.

    “We are resuming next week, precisely on Thursday, October 4 and the meeting may split over to October 5, as we normally use two days for the meeting. So, we are reconvening the meeting on the October 4, and all the process have being put in place.”

    But Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Ayuba Wabba said the strike by organised labour would go ahead and asked workers to await further directives.

    Wabba said: “We had a meeting where the Minister of Labour tried to update us. Since the time we issued this notice, there has been no consultation or meeting.

    “This is the first meeting and he tried to update us on what they are trying to do. So, the briefing needs to be communicated to our membership. Our demand is that the Tripartite Negotiating Council should be called back to conclude its assignment.

    “We are taking back the discussion we had with him, especially the update on what they are doing which before now, we are not aware because there was no consultation.”

    On his part, Deputy President of United Labour Congress (ULC) Comrade Igwe Achese said the meeting was an interactive meeting with members of tripartite committee.

    Achese said the meeting called by the minister was to brief the organised labour on the update of the Federal Government activities as it concern the new national minimum wage.

    Before the meeting with the minister, the organised labour directed workers in both the public and private sector to remain at home as from yesterday midnight, till further notice in protest against government’s failure to reconvene the tripartite committee.

    Addressing a joint news conference in Abuja, leaders of NLC, TUC and the United Labour Congress (ULC) said the development since the ultimatum was given by the workers was a clear indication that the government was not serious about the issue of the new minimum wage

    Wabba, who spoke on behalf of the other labour leaders, said the strike is expected to affect public and private schools, banks, fuel stations and private and public institutions across the country.

    Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) yesterday said it has joined the indefinite warning strike.

    Court workers also gave notice to begin the industrial action after close of work yesterday.

    Its National President, Comrade Nuhu Ogirima, in a statement in Abuja yesterday, decried the Federal Government’s insensitivity to Nigerian workers’ welfare and the pathetic plight of colleges of education.

    Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) President Marwan Mustapha Adamu said the strike was in compliance with the directive of the nation’s three labour centres to down tools.

    In a statement issued yesterday, Adamu directed JUSUN members nationwide to comply with the warning strike.

    The Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC) of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), in a statement signed by its chairman, Comrade Korede in Abuja, called on workers to comply fully with the strike action.

    Also, the National Public Relations Officer, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Comrade Fortune Obi, who spoke with The Nation on phone, noted that the association would comply with the directive of its parent union, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), on the issue.

    According to him, the Central Working Committee of the association would be meeting today from which it would reach a decision on the industrial action.

    He added that PENGASSAN “as at now, we are watching the situation”.

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), however, told The Nation that it has sufficient petroleum products supply, if the organised labour makes good its threat to embark on the industrial action.

    Its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, who spoke on phone yesterday, said NNPC would ensure that there were no hitches in the supply of the fuel and the other products of the corporation.

  • Strike: Edo begins talks with NUT

    Edo State Government has begun talks with the leadership of the National Union of Teachers ( NUT )to avert industrial crisis in the education sector.

    It was learnt that after weeks of break down of talks with some government officials, the NUT leaders will on Monday meet with Governor Godwin Obaseki.

    The NUT had last week Friday issued a fresh seven days ultimatum after the expiration of the 45 days ultimatum earlier issued.

    Reasons adduced by the NUT for threatening strike action include non-payment of subvention to primary and secondary schools in the state, financial implementation of the 2013 to 2015 primary school teachers promotions and implementation of the approved N25,000 minimum wage to all primary school teachers with all the arrears.

    Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education, Dr. Joan Osa Oviawe, said the state government was doing its best to avert the strike action.

    Dr. Oviawe said Governor Obaseki is the best across the country in terms of providing welfare for primary school teachers.

    She said, “Oshiomhole tried to do some things to lift the schools. We have been in talks with the NUT. Obaseki came in with the mindset to empower primary school teachers. He cleared three years promotion arrears. The Leave Transport Grant that teachers were owed was paid.

    ” The promotion he awarded runs into millions. It is not just promoting them and paying salaries. In some states, teachers are paid half salaries. We have things in place to restore the respect of our teachers. In June, the Governor had lunch with 18 teachers. It was for him to hear directly from the teachers. He heard what is working and what is not working. Edo is far above other states. We want to train teachers first.

    Acting Secretary of the Edo NUT, Moni Mike Modesty- Itua, said Primary and Secondary School heads and their teachers were tired of using their meager salaries to provide instructional materials such as chalk, markers, diaries, registers for teaching and learning in schools.

    Modesty-Itua told newsmen on Monday that the strike action would be inevitable if the state government did not meet their demands.

    He stated that the issues were about improved welfare and good conditions of service for our teachers.

  • Oil workers threaten strike over alleged army brutality

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has urged the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratia  to urgently redeploy soldiers unlawfully being used to brutalise workers in two oil firms in Delta State under 24 hours or  risk a nationwide industrial action.

    NUPENG said the use of military personnel and armed militias to forcefully eject workers from the premises by a firm, Sterling Energy Exploration Company (SEEPCO) and its drilling arm, British Oil and Gas Limited (BOGEL) over issue of unionisation is an aberration and dehumanisation of the workers.

    Its National President, Comr. Williams Akporeha, who spoke to reporters in Lagos, yesterday said the frims involved have sacked over 2,500 workers who asked for their legitimate right to belong to an association.

    Akporeha said the use of military personnel to distribute forms to the workers not to belong to any association is strange and wondered why soldiers should allow themselves to be used as weapon of brutality against defenceless workers demanding for their constitutional rights.

     

    He said despite calls on the relevant stakeholders to help address the issue before it escalates were frustrated by SEEPCO and BOGEL.

    “Workers in Delta State have started industrial action at the moment and if nothing is done by the military honchos to talk to their boys doing illegal duty; we will have no option but to peacefully toe the line of national industrial action in solidarity to the plight of the affected workers,” he said.

    He also called for the immediate intervention of the Federal Government, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Inspector General of Police, and the Acting Director-General, Department of State Security Services (DSSS) and other relevant stakeholders in the oil and gas industry on the matter.

    He said it was the resolve of the union to always work with all employers of labour in the oil and gas industry with the primary aim of entrenching and sustaining industrial peace and harmony in the overall interest of the country. He said NUPENG would continue to stand firm in protecting the interest of its members particularly when their rights are being violated.

    Akphoreha said: “For the record, five drilling oil rigs being operated by SEEPCO and its drilling arm, British Oil and Gas Limited in Kwale, Warri area of Delta State, have been in operation for several years now, with continued refusal by the management of these drilling companies to allow workers to join the union.

    “Workers of these drilling rigs have overtly indicated their willingness and readiness to join the union of their choice and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers has responded appropriately to the request of these workers with several requests for union recognition from the management.

    “Unfortunately, rather that following path of decency and global best practices, the management of SEEPCO and its drilling arm, British Oil and Gas Limited have resulted to high handedness and violence through the use of military men and armed militias to forcefully evacuate over 2500 workers from the five drilling rigs.

    “These companies are Indian operated companies and NUPENG found it grossly unfortunate and unacceptable that these companies would beusing brute force to dehumanise, terrorise, and victimise Nigerians in their own country.

    “To avoid further escalation of this current unhealthy situation and considering the collateral damage it might cause the nation, NUPENG is earnestly asking all the aforementioned stakeholders to call the management of these companies to order and direct them to follow path of decency and best practices by granting the legitimate wishes of the workers to freely associate and be unionized without any further encumbrance or limitations.”

  • Seplat, NNPC strike joint ownership deal

    Seplat Petroleum Development Company (Seplat) Plc and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday signed joint ownership agreement in a joint venture floated to process gas production from upstream assets.

    Seplat, Nigerian indigenous upstream oil company which is listed on both the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) and London Stock Exchange (LSE), signed the shareholder agreement and share subscription agreement with the Nigerian Gas Processing and Transportation Company (NGPTC), a wholly owned subsidiary of NNPC.

    Under the deal, NGPTC will subscribe for 50 per cent of the shares in ANOH Gas Processing Company Limited (AGPC), a company that was incorporated in 2017, for the purpose of processing future wet gas production from the upstream unitised gas fields at OML 53 & OML 21, which is operated by Shell.

    The signed shareholder agreement will govern Seplat’s and NGPTC’s respective interests in the AGPC incorporated joint venture. Other commercial agreements with NNPC and the Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC) were also executed during the signing ceremony held at NNPC headquarters in Abuja yesterday.

    Yesterday’s agreements were important precursors to the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the ANOH project which is expected in the fourth quarter of 2018.

    Chief Executive Officer, Seplat Petroleum Development Company (Seplat) Plc, Mr. Austin Avuru, noted that ANOH is one of the largest greenfield gas and condensate developments in Nigeria, which will supply much needed gas volumes to the growing domestic market.

    “We are delighted to have entered into an incorporated joint venture with our government partner NGPTC. The execution of the agreements today is an important step as we head towards taking FID on the ANOH project later this year,” Avuru said.

     

  • Clearing agents on strike at Lagos Airport

    Commercial activities at the cargo section of the  Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos was yesterday  grounded following the introduction of a new policy by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Lagos Airport Command.

    Clearing agents accused the command of tripling charges imposed on them for clearance of consignments at the airport.

    The clearing agents in their hundreds protested the directive of Mrs. Jayne Shoboiki, the Customs Area Comptroller (CAC), MMA Command that all consignments must as from July 13, 2018 be on Form M.

    The agents insisted that the policy was anti-progress, stressing that some of the consignments could not come with Form M as they were not major goods.

    Mr. Chris Nwabuzor, a member of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) at the Lagos Airport, in an interview said most of the policies introduced by the CAC could not work at the airport as some of their consignments could not fall into the category directed by the command.

    Immediately the protest began, Customs at the command locked the long room while the leaderships of the clearing agents ordered their members to vacate the premises.