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Tag: TUC

  • TUC to NERC: Ensure stable power before tariff hike

    The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has reiterated its position against moves by the Nigeria Electricity Commission (NERC), electricity distribution and generation companies (DISCOs and GENCOs) to increase electricity tariff. The TUC said the move was anti-people and lacked every sense of logicality.

    In a communiqué by the TUC President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama, after a meeting with NERC officials, on Tuesday, Kaigama described as lame the argument in some quarters that an act of the National Assembly actually empowers the Commission to unilaterally increase tariff and that the act cannot be tampered with even by the federal parliament.

    “For us, any act, policy or idea that does not consider the poor masses is undemocratic and evil. It is evil because it further impoverishes the masses. Naturally, our thinking is that business is all about investment and profit and not the other way round. Every business has its gestation period before it starts generating profit. Unfortunately, NERC and the investors do not want to go through the pains,” Kaigama said.

    The TUC president argued that if the investors need contributions from people to invest, it automatically makes the people shareholders to the company. “For NERC, DISCOs and GENCO to give the consumers crazy bills in order to rake in enough money without making them partners is unacceptable and fraudulent,” he said.

    Kaigama said it is imperative that investors realise that government privatised the sector because it could no longer fund it, adding that the investors are expected to fund the sector without inflicting pains on the masses.

    “The Congress told the NERC officials that truly the challenges in the sector are enormous, which remains the reason why it was privatised. However, the officials were advised to re-strategise. Nigerians are good followers and shall be willing to pay their bills if the product is made available.

    We are not ready to pay for the electricity we do not consume,” he said.

  • NLC, TUC threaten to shut down Kaduna

    NLC, TUC threaten to shut down Kaduna

    •Kick against El-Rufai’s new engagement rules

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

     

  • TUC calls for transparency in Rivers election

    The Trade Union Congress (TUC), Rivers State chapter has called for transparency in the re-run legislative elections coming up tomorrow.

    In a statement, TUC Chairman,  Rivers State chapter, Comrade  Hyginus Chika Onuegbu, urged eligible voters to come out and vote for candidates of their choice.

    Onuegbu said  the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of Directorate State Security and Service Chiefs of the Armed Forces should provide adequate security to ensure  free and fair re-run elections, adding that no voter, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) personnel or accredited election observer should be intimidated, hurt or killed.

    “By now, we expect that the security agencies working in collaboration with the INEC should have their election security strategy that cover all phases of the electoral process and aimed at protecting electoral integrity. It is important to state clearly that the greatest threat to the Rivers State re-run elections is insecurity, as many of our people are scared going by the level of insecurity in the state.

    “The INEC as the umpire must ensure that the elections are free, fair and credible. It is important that election materials arrive early to the polling stations, so that voting and accreditation can be completed on time in line with the guidelines for the elections,” he said.

    Onuegbu said the youth should shun  violence and embrace peace, adding that political parties and their candidates should work towards safe and peaceful re-run elections.

    “Once again, we appeal to all Rivers people, especially the youth to embrace peace and shun all acts of violence. Indeed, acts of violence of whatever kind should be frowned upon by all and strictly shunned and punished collectively as it diminishes our democratic culture and whittles down the remaining collective respect we have as a people and as a state,’’ he added.

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

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

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

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

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

    • By Israel Oyegbile

      Sabo Tasha, Kaduna

  • LMC, TUC to partner on improving players’ welfare

    LMC, TUC to partner on improving players’ welfare

    The League Management Company(LMC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have met in Abuja with a resolve to collaborate in seeking ways of ensuring better working conditions to secure welfare of players in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

    The resolution was reached during a courtesy visit by a delegation of the TUC led by its President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama to the Chairman of LMC, Shehu Dikko.

    The TUC President praised the LMC  for repositioning the NPFL and by extension Nigeria football through the adoption of policies that has led to improved welfare of football players and coaches.

    He said the implementation of documented contracts for players is one policy that has ensured that players’ entitlement cannot be denied and gave the assurance that “the TUC is willing to support the LMC in reaching all state governments whose clubs are  indebted to the players and coaches to resolve such matter”.

    While responding, Dikko thanked the TUC President and his delegation for  the visit, saying  the LMC is open to the joint venture initiatives with the labour centre that will see to improved welfare of players and coaches.

    The LMC Chairman went further to reiterate the league body’s commitment to work with the players union,  NANPF in establishing a social security scheme such as pension funds and insurance for players and coaches.

    Accompanying the TUC President on the visit were Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson,  President of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association, Comrade Aliyu Musa , Chairman TUC FCT Council,  Comrade Anka, Head of the TUC Liason Office FCT,  and the President and General Secretary of NANPF, Comrade Dahiru Sadi and Austin Popo.

  • TUC kicks against deployment of N5.3tr pension fund to infratsructure

    TUC kicks against deployment of N5.3tr pension fund to infratsructure

    The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has kicked against calls by some National Assembly members to spend part of the N5.3 trillion pension funds on infrastructure.

    A statement by its President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama, explained that the Congress has made its position on the vexed issue very clear, adding that the pension scheme was informed by the need to tackle poverty and difficulties faced by retirees, and not to raise money for the provision of infrastructure or investment at the instance of the rich.

    “We also use this opportunity to reiterate that the 25 per cent of total contribution paid at first instance to workers on retirement is too small. Anything less than 50 per cent defeats the purpose of the scheme. As it stands today, many states claim inability to pay the national minimum wage of N18, 000, a sum that is itself barely enough to take the workers home talk less of paying the bills for his family’s shelter, upkeep and development,” Kaigama said.

    He argued that infrastructural development remained the duty of the government, adding that it is a key driver and a critical enabler of sustainable growth all over the world. According to him, infrastructure provides a unique avenue for the public and private sectors of the economy to thrive. It is also critical in attracting foreign investors.

    Kaigama said rather than appropriating the monies saved from workers’ contributions to perform the government’s responsibility of fixing roads, providing electricity and other social infrastructure, the funds should be utilised for projects that are of direct benefit to the retirees and other workers, such as fixing housing deficit. He said this must be done with rules for proper accountability in place.

    PenCom Director-General Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu has said the fund is consistently invested by Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) strictly as prescribed by the law. She said the money was also not domiciled at the National Pension Commission (PenComs) account but at Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs) as approved by the Pensions Act.

    These clarifications were made in Lagos during an interactive session with reporters. She regretted the misleading information by some persons on the status of the fund, saying that PFAs had played by the rule, and that no fraud with respect to management of the fund has been recorded.

    She added that the fund is protected arguing that there is no way it could be mismanaged or misappropriated under any guise. “We play by the rule and any PFA that invests outside the guideline will lose its operating license,” she said. She added that effort is being made to bring more Nigerians into the scheme through the Micro Pension Scheme now in the offing.

    According to Anohu-Amazu, the regulator has established a special function unit to drive the micro pension plan, which targets the low income earners as well as individuals. She said the commission has begun the sensitisation of service providers as well as the targeted workers in the informal sector with a view to creating the enabling environment to bring more people into the scheme.

    Anohu-Amazu noted that it would ensure that robust technological platform is put in place to drive the initiative, adding that special mobile phone applications that had been successfully implemented in some jurisdictions for financial transactions including provision of pension services to the self-employed and informal sector workers could be adopted to prop the plan.

    “It is evident that a robust technological platform that would support the provision of customer services is necessary to effectively and efficiently register, collect contributions, provide Retirement Savings Account support, pay benefits and provide financial advisory services to this class of workers.

    “Coincidently, special mobile phone applications had been successfully implemented in some jurisdictions for financial transactions including provision of pension services to the self-employed and informal sector workers. The success stories of these applications drive the confidence that similar platform can be designed and implemented in Nigeria,” she said.

    The PenCom chief attributed the growth in the funds to the security fence built to protect it from being diverted into personal use by managers of the funds.

    She said the commission had not and would not prevent the investing of pension assets in infrastructural development and other sectors, but that such investments must abide by the guidelines in the Pension Reform Act 2014.

  • TUC to Fed Govt: increase minimum wage, reverse sale of DISCOs

    TUC to Fed Govt: increase minimum wage, reverse sale of DISCOs

    The Trade Union Congress (TUC) yesterday demanded upward review of the current N18,000 minimum wage from the Federal Government.

    This is part of the presentation by a delegation led by TUC President, Mr Bobboi Kaigama during a courtesy visit to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Noting that the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2011 would be five years old in March, he said in accordance with the International Labour Organisation’s Minimum Wage Fixing Convention 131 of 1970, an Ad Hoc Committee should be raised every five years for the review.

    He said: “We use this opportunity to serve notice that it is time for the Federal Government to set up that committee and mandate it to kick start work on fixing of a new minimum wage.

    “We trust that this will be done immediately to save Nigerian workers from the harsh effects of present day economic realities which is taking tolls on their meager incomes,” Kaigama said.

    He also urged the Federal Government to reverse the sale of the electricity distribution companies (DisCos), stressing that the current operators had demonstrated  lack of will, capacity and competence to invest in the power sector and provide power to consumers.

  • Buhari in government for masses – Osinbajo

    Buhari in government for masses – Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday said the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is purely for the Nigerian people and is always open to dialogue on any issue.

    He made the remark when a delegation of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) visited him at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Osinbajo, in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, said: “We are here for the people, if not for the people, we will not be here. We got here by the grace of God and the votes of the man on the street who felt it’s time for change.”

    He said it is important for the Buhari presidency to talk and dialogue, adding “even if we disagree, we must still talk. The reason is that this government itself is for the people.”

    Osinbajo said nobody is in government by inheritance, adding “we are here today because the people chose us and that is the reason we must be prepared to listen to issues that concern Nigerians.”

    The vice president explained that government has set out a number of initiatives to better the lot of ordinary Nigerians, including the six social investment programs for which the sum of N500billion has been allocated in the 2016 budget.

     

  • TUC to FG: increase minimum wage, reverse sale of DISCOs

    TUC to FG: increase minimum wage, reverse sale of DISCOs

    The Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Tuesday demanded the Federal Government to review upward the current N18,000 minimum wage.

    This is part of the presentation made by a TUC delegation led by its President, Mr. Bobboi Kaigama, during a visit to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Noting that the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2011 would be five years old in March, he said that in accordance with the International Labour Organisation’s Minimum Wage Fixing Convention 131 of 1970, an ad hoc committee should be raised every five years for the review.

    He said: “We use this opportunity to serve notice that it is time for the Federal Government to set up that committee and mandate it to kick start work on a new minimum wage.

    “We trust that this will be done immediately to save Nigerian workers from the harsh effects of present day economic realities which are taking tolls on their meager incomes.”

    He also urged the Federal Government to reverse the sale of the electricity distribution companies (DISCOs), stressing that the current operators had demonstrated lack of will, capacity and competence to invest in the power sector and provide power to consumers.

    He said the current increase in electricity tariff is “anti-people” describing the Act of the National Assembly empowering the electricity regulator the unilateral power to increase the tariff as “very lame, too simplistic and misleading.”

    He said: “Any Act that preys on the masses that it is supposed to protect negates the very essence of public policy.

    “In the same vein, any act that compels the citizens to pay for services not delivered is not only flawed and undemocratic but ultra vires to the power of the National Assembly to make laws for the good of the country.”

    Stressing that the telecommunication operators brought funds, expertise, service delivery and competition in their business which Nigerians were happy about, he pointed out that the sole aim of the DISCOS “is profiteering through fraud.”

    According to him, the DISCOs have failed to implement their own part of the contract as poor electricity supply and non- availability of meters are experienced nationwide.

  • TUC urges tricyclists to maintain standard

    TUC urges tricyclists to maintain standard

    The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has urged Tricycle Owners Association of Nigeria (TOAN) to ensure they comply with high standard of performance and adhere to professional practices in their daily operations.

    The President of TUC, Mr. Bobboi Kaigama, stated this in Abuja recently while addressing the inaugural national meeting of the association.

    He said: “Our members have respect for the laws of this country. We ensure that our members operate within the ambit of the law and encourage absolute respect for laid down rules and regulations.”

    Kaigama urged members of the association to always embrace social dialogue in the promotion of the welfare and effective operations of members, saying that he has confidence in the new leadership.

    He said: “The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria which you are affiliated to is a very responsible and respected association. We are respected because we know that the era of table banging is over; you now have to use your brain to marshal your point and sell the idea of the protection of your workers. My little interaction with your president and other executive has proven to me that we are not wrong to accept you into our fold”.

    He added that as the newest affiliate of the TUC, TOAN members will enjoy maximum protection as whatever touches them touches TUC.

    In his remarks, the Chairman of Abuja chapter of TUC, Comrade Musa Aliyu tasked members to put the interest of the association above individual interest in choosing their executives.

    “You must defend your registration and guide it jealously. Let your election be a family affair. If you don’t get a position in the union wait for another time. Do away with I must get it attitude and support whoever the members of the association elected,” Aliyu advised.

    In his address, the first National President of TOAN, Comrade Augustine Apeh, praised the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment for finding the association worthy of registration by the Registrar of Trade Union.

    He pledged the association’s commitment to promoting solidarity, peace, equity, justice and poverty eradication among members and Nigerians at large.