The Nation Newspaper

Tag: TUC

  • TUC rejects law on social services levy

    The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Rivers State chapter, has kicked against the law on social services levy before the State House of Assembly.

    Its Chairman, Comrade Chika Onuegbu, told reporters that the union and its affiliates would not accept the reintroduction of the controversial social services levy, or any  new tax law in whatever disguise on  workers in the state.

    He said the position of TUC  on the new tax law before the state House of Assembly is clear, saying a court of competent jurisdiction has previously ruled against that law and similar laws.

    He said the union resisted the law under the previous administration in the state, and that the union shall continue to resist it under the present administration as such law amounts to double taxation of the workers.

    The TUC boss said members of the union and her affiliates never paid the social services contributory levy in the state and were also not part of its Board as previously constituted.

    Onuegbu said the planned reintroduction of the law amounted to additional hardship on the workers, stressing that the TUC in the state will resist the planned imposition of additional taxes by the government.

    He advised the state government to limit the collection of taxes to the Taxes and Levies (Approved list for Collection) Act.

    He enjoined the state House of Assembly to concentrate on making laws that will improve the welfare of the workers and ordinary people in the state.

  • TUC rejects law on social services levy

    TUC rejects law on social services levy

    The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Rivers State chapter, has kicked against the law on social services levy before the State House of Assembly.

    Its Chairman, Comrade Chika Onuegbu, told reporters that the union and its affiliates would not accept the reintroduction of the controversial social services levy, or any  new tax law in whatever disguise on  workers in the state.

    He said the position of TUC  on the new tax law before the state House of Assembly is clear, saying a court of competent jurisdiction has previously ruled against that law and similar laws.

    He said the union resisted the law under the previous administration in the state, and that the union shall continue to resist it under the present administration as such law amounts to double taxation of the workers.

    The TUC boss said members of the union and her affiliates never paid the social services contributory levy in the state and were also not part of its Board as previously constituted.

    Onuegbu said the planned reintroduction of the law amounted to additional hardship on the workers, stressing that the TUC in the state will resist the planned imposition of additional taxes by the government.

    He advised the state government to limit the collection of taxes to the Taxes and Levies (Approved list for Collection) Act.

    He enjoined the state House of Assembly to concentrate on making laws that will improve the welfare of the workers and ordinary people in the state.

  • Ortom debunks rumour of workers retrenchment

    Ortom debunks rumour of workers retrenchment

    Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has dismissed widespread rumour that his administration was planning to downsize the state’s workforce because of economic constraints.

    Governor Ortom who stated this while fielding questions from journalists at the end  of the meeting he held with officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE  and affiliate unions at Benue Peoples House, Makurdi, said the  meeting addressed the problem of non-payment of salaries.

    Governor Ortom said the difficulties he has faced in paying salaries arose as a result of the dwindling allocation to the state which dropped to N1.3 billion and explained that the allocation was too meager to meet the challenges confronting the state.

    He maintained that Benue workers contributed immensely to his emergence as governor, and reiterated that he has no intention to downsize the workforce even in the face of economic challenges.

    “I am not thinking of downsizing the workforce for now, we are thinking of industrializing the state so that even civil servants can go into the industries and forget about civil service; workers in Benue state are part of me, they contributed immensely in making me governor, and there is no way I will toy with their welfare,” he added.

    He said, the only way the state can wriggle out of the quagmire is to borrow money to offset the backlog of unpaid salaries of workers who are the ‘drivers of the economy’.

    In separate interviews, the state Chairman of NLC, Comrade Godwin Anya, as well as his NULGE and TUC counterparts, urged the state governor to obtain more loans to clear workers’ salaries.

    “I support the idea that the governor should borrow money again to clear workers’ salaries because as long as we live, we cannot die because there is no money, so, if it means borrowing one hundred times, NLC will agree that government should go ahead and borrow”, Anya said.

    On his part, the state NULGE Chairman, Mr. Terungwa Igbe, also supported the move to obtain another loan to pay workers, stressing that local government workers needed to be paid.

  • TUC floats $1b Economic Development Fund

    TUC floats $1b Economic Development Fund

    The Trade Union Congress (TUC) is to float a one $1b development fund.

    TUC President Comrade Bobboi Kaigama spoke of the fund at an award ceremony for indigenous entrepreneurs in Abuja.

    Presenting  the award to the President and Chief Executive of the Dangote Group,  Aliko Dangote and his Savannah Sugar Company, Kaigama  praised Dangote for helping to grow a strong economy.

    The TUC said: “The CSR of the company includes building primary and secondary schools for the children of staff and the host communities as well as the provision of free transportation for the children.”

    The founder of the Dantata Group,  the late Alhaji Abdulkadir Dantata, also bagged  posthumous award on  ‘Excellent Exemplary Service in the Promotion of Human Development and Entrepreneurship’.

    Chairman of the occasion, Ambassador Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, who was represented by Ambassador Musa John, said the activities of TUC would help ginger the country’s economy.

    The occasion was graced by the Chairman of Jaiz Bank, Alhaji Umar Mutallab, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) Comrade Ayuba Wabba, Sanator Stella Oduah and former TUC President Peter Esele.

     

  • TUC: Nigerians are suffering

    TUC: Nigerians are suffering

    The  economy is in bad shape and Nigerians are suffering, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has said.

    At a conference in Abuja, its President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama, said the nation was  stagnating amid slow economic growth, high unemployment and rising prices.

    “The country’s currency, the naira, is in a free fall. There is insecurity posed by Boko Haram insurgents, problem of herdsmen and Niger Delta militants, and a host of other ills bedevilling the country.

    “In spite of all these challenges, however, we cannot afford to give up the struggle. But I see hope coupled with signals of a brighter future for our unborn generations.We will surely get there,” Kaigama said.

    He also said his union had set up a $1b Economic Development Fund for the actualisation of its Economic Development Plan.

    He said the fund would provide additional income streams for its members and affiliates and also provide loans for those still in service and after service.”

    “This fund will be used to make strategic investments into the different sectors of the economy.

    “Part of this fund will be set aside to provide loans and the required technical assistance for our members to set up and run bankable businesses when they retire from service,” Kaigama said.”

    “Through this plan, the TUC will mobilise resources from its members, affiliates, partners and other investors to invest in a number critical assets across different sectors of the economy,” he said.

  • TUC to acquire 57% stake in Unity Bank

    TUC to acquire 57% stake in Unity Bank

    The Trade Union Congress (TUC) is to acquire 57 percent stake  in the Unity Bank.  This is to ensure the welfare of its members and to reposition the union, its President, Bobboi Bala Kaigama has said.

    Kaigama disclosed this in his welcome address at the ongoing 10th Triennial National Delegates Conference in Abuja yesterday.

    He assured that his members would not suffer after retirement, promising that they would  enjoy the fruits of their labour.

    His words:“Through the TUC economy, we are on the verge of acquiring major shareholding in Unity Bank Plc. We have a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the management and the process is on. We will tag it as Nigerian workers’ bank and will let Nigerians know that we have a bank in place. To build a better Nigeria, we in TUC shall move from just being spectators in the Nigerian economy to becoming investors in the Nigerian economy. We can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines and watch helplessly for others to decide our future and the future of our families. We must take our future into our hands. To achieve this, join me in building the TUC economy.

    “We believe that through this innovative and bold move by TUC, we see a Nigeria where productive enterprise flourishes in an atmosphere of mutually beneficial industrial harmony and cohesion between the government, private employers and labour. We shall see a Nigeria where unions are better respected not just for their representation of the masses but also for their economic might and prowess; and their partnering with government to ensure rapid development of the nation.”

    He argued that the step is to ensure TUC becomes part of building a country that is devoid of injustice, a country that creates and ensures job security, refrain from money laundering and corrupt practices. “A country that recognises the market men, women and peasant, funds education, builds and upgrade infrastructure and the health sector on a regular basis,” he said.

  • TUC sets up economic development fund

    The Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Thursday said it has set up one billion dollar economic development fund for the actualization of its economic development plan.

    The president of TUC, Mr. Bobboi Kaigama, stated this at its 10th Triennial National Delegates Conference in Abuja on Thursday.

    Kaigama said the fund would provide additional income streams for its members and affiliates and also provide loans for those still in service and after service.

    “This fund will be used to make strategic investments into the different sectors of the economy.

    “Part of this fund will be set aside to provide loans and the required technical assistance for our members to set up and run bankable businesses when they retire from service.

    “Through this plan, the TUC will mobilise resources from its members, affiliates, partners and other investors to invest in a number critical assets across different sectors of the economy.

    “By so doing, TUC and its members can take advantage of the existing investment opportunities in lucrative areas of financial services, power, housing, agriculture, oil and gas and infrastructure, among others,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the TUC chief as saying at the conference.

     

  • FG starts deliberation on minimum wage, fuel price hike

    The Federal Government on Thursday inaugurated the technical committee set up to look into Labour’s grievances arising from the increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

    After the committee’s inauguration by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), David Babachir Lawal, the committee headed by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, held its inaugural meeting.

    Briefing journalists at the end of the meeting, Ngige said the committee has been commissioned to look into three key areas.

    According to him, the committee will look into a framework of a national committee that will discuss the issue of minimum wage and consider suggestions of all parties including government and the organised labour on how they can give amelioration to workers and Nigerians in general to cushion the effect of the fuel price hike.

    He added: “Government has already provided N500 billion in the 2016 budget as palliatives and this will be subjected to a review by the committee.

    “Another term of reference is the recommendation of the composition of the board of the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).”

    The organised labour, before embarking on its recent strike, had faulted the federal government’s rational for hiking the fuel price from N86.50 to N145 per litre when the board of the PPPRA was not in place.

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had also requested that the federal government should include labour stakeholders in the N500 billion palliative measures it planned to use to cushion the effect of the fuel price hike.

    The union also demanded for upward review of the minimum wage to N56,000.

    But President Muhammadu Buhari had subsequently approved the appointment of Mohammed Buba as the Chairman of Board of PPPRA.

    At the end of the inaugural meeting of the Committee, NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, said he concurred with the remark of Dr. Ngige.

    One of the labour leaders, who spoke on a condition of anonymity after the inauguration, said the government has to look beyond the N500 billion as the sharing formula has already been completed.

    “Government should think of other palliatives,” he said.

  • TUC to salary-owing governors: Resign now

    TUC to salary-owing governors: Resign now

    The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) on Thursday asked state governors owing workers’ salaries to resign from office or face the workers’ wrath.

    TUC also condemned what it termed illegal recruitment going on in the civil service and other unresolved issues capable of affecting industrial peace and harmony in the public service.

    The president of the Congress, Bobboi Bala Kaigama, while speaking at the 10th Triennial Delegates Conference of the Congress in Abuja, said it was a shame that after collecting huge bailout funds from the Federal Government, some state governors are still looking for loans from the World Bank.

    He said: “It is a major cause for concern that some of our governors recently sought $3.2bn from the World Bank after recently collecting bailouts from the federal government.  We are surprised at their behaviour especially as they claim to be on the side of the masses and workers.

    “Although the law requires that workers be paid as and when due, several state governments owe as much as seven, eight and even nine months salaries of their workers, thus disobeying the law that they swore to obey to the letter.  It is our candid position that any governor who cannot pay should resign immediately lest we make his state ungovernable for him.

    “Is it not an irony for a governor who spends over N18,000 per month to fend for his dog to claim that he cannot pay same to his worker?  The governors should realise that governance is about thinking out of the box, and the test of our progress as a country is not whether they add more to their personal abundance but whether they provide effectively for the have-nots in the society.

    “The fact of the matter is that most of our governors are wicked to say the least.  Otherwise they will not be behaving in a reckless manner where they refuse to pay salaries whereas their own families are enjoying the commonwealth of the people recklessly in foreign lands.”

     

  • Fuel price hike: FG inaugurates panel Thursday

    Fuel price hike: FG inaugurates panel Thursday

    … Ngige heads panel

    The Federal Government will on Thursday inaugurate a technical committee set up to look into Labour’s grievances arising from the increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) as well as examine other consequential and/or ancillary matters thereon.

    The committee, according to a statement from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, will be inaugurated by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), David Babachir Lawal, by 3:00pm at his office in Abuja.

    The composition of the committee included members from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and Government Representatives.

    The members from the NLC are – Comrade Peters Adeyemi, Comrade Amaechi Asugwuni, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel, Comrade Igwe Achese and Segun Efan.

    The TUC members are – Augustine Etafo, Alade Bashir Lawal, and Abdullahi Sale.

    The Government Representatives in the committee included the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, who will serve as Chairman, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachukwu and Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma.

    Other members from the government team are – Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Chairman, National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Chief R. O. Egbule and a representative of Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, while Prof. Adamu Kyuka Usman representing the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, will serve as Secretary.