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Tag: TUC

  • TUC flays planned scrapping of polymer notes

    TUC flays planned scrapping of polymer notes

    The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) yesterday kicked against the planned reversal of using polymer notes for some naira denominations by Central Bank of Nigeria.

    The TUC said such reversal amounted to policy summersault and would cost the nation “enormous scarce resources.”

    In a release yesterday, signed by its President-General, Comrade Peter Esele and Secretary-General, Musa Lawal, the union urged the CBN to set its priority aright, saying Nigeria has enough issues demanding urgent attention.

    “The printing of new naira notes on paper is definitely not our present priority, neither are we interested in seeing lower or higher denominations of naira now. Rather, each of us is interested in being able to sleep with both eyes closed.

    “We are interested in travelling and doing business in any part of the country without fear of molestation or attack. We want to live in a country where motor parks are neither bombed nor people roasted.”

    The statement reads in part:

    “How do we explain the fact that just a few years after the policy of printing lower naira denominations – N5, N10, N20 and N50 – in polymer was introduced during Prof. Chukwuma Soludo’s tenure as CBN Governor, Lamido Sanusi Lamido and his incumbent team propose to reverse the idea?

    “Our thinking is that this is ridiculous! We all know that such a policy summersault will cost us enormous scarce resources,” saying the masses will inevitably bear the cost.

    “As things stand now, Nigeria has enough issues on our hands; issues that should receive greater priority attention. As a labour centre, we think that everyone in the nation should be more concerned about the thousands of innocent Nigerians who have died.

    The nation should be more interested in tackling the incessant cases of kidnapping and bombing in parts of the country, a phenomenon that has even been taken to a more alarming level with the recent kidnapping of women and children and the wanton destruction of property, the union said, adding that the claim that the planned action would not constitute a drain on the nation’s economy was untenable.

    It urged the CBN and the Federal Government to forget about making any change to our currency notes and focus on the more germane issues of the moment, the congress added.

     

  • NLC, TUC mourn journalists

    Activists, journalists, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) members yesterday staged a candle light procession in Benin City in honour of the late Principal Private Secretary to Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde.

    The protesters besieged the Oba Ovonramwem Square, popularly known as Kings Square, prompting a gridlock.

    The procession, which started at about 06:22pm, saw members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) leading the procession right from the Union Secretariat through Reservation road, Sapele road, round the Kings Square; singing in memory of other journalists Chuckwudi Ogu, Olatunji Jacob, George Okosun both of Independent Television, (ITV); Fidelis Okhani of the African Independent Television, (AIT)and Sashua Edeghagba of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) before joining others at the House of Assembly point of the Ovonramwen Square.

    The Executive Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, (ANEEJ) David Ugolor, said the procession was held to send a signal to authorities that they must find the killers.

     

  • Osun NLC, JNC, TUC to meet today on proposed strike

    Osun NLC, JNC, TUC to meet today on proposed strike

    •Labour may suspend strike 

    Three labour leaders in Osun State yesterday explained why they called for a four-day warning strike.

    The congress, they said, will meet today on whether to go on with the strike or suspend it.

    The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Alhaji Saka Adesiyan; Chairman of the Joint Negotiating Council (NJC) Bayo Adejumo and the Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Francis Adetunji, said it was to remind the state government of its agreement with workers 19 months ago.

    They spoke with reporters at the NLC Secretariat in Osogbo, the state capital.

    Reacting to calls by some labour leaders urging members to ignore the proposed strike, Adesiyan said the congress would meet today to decide whether or not to suspend the strike.

    He said several attempts to get the governor’s attention failed, hence the decision to go on a warning strike.

    Adesiyan said after two meetings with Governor Rauf Aregbesola on the implementation of the minimum wage for senior civil servants, the governor called for negotiation.

    He said: “Since January, nothing concrete has been done to set up the committee and several warning letters were sent to the government as reminders. Based on the government’s non-compliance, labour was constrained to issue the notice of a warning strike to press home workers’ demands.”

    Adejumo, who was accused of being a retired federal worker, said he still has over five years to spend in service.

    He said he, Adesiyan and Adetunji are the recognised labour leaders and not “disgruntled elements in the labour movement, who are fighting for their personal interests”.

    Adetunji denied knowing one of those dissociating themselves from the proposed strike.

    Mrs. Tola Nosegbe, who said she is the Vice-Chairman of TUC, is one of those dissociating themselves from the proposed strike.

    Adetunji said Mrs. Nosegbe works with the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) in Akure, Ondo State, and cannot speak for Osun workers.

    On Sunday, some labour leaders, including the Chairman of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Comrade Akinyemi Olatunji; leader of the Medical and Health Workers Union, Comrade Femi Adebisi and TUC Vice-Chairman Comrade Tola Nosegbe, and others dissociated their unions from the proposed strike and urged workers to disregard it.

  • Institute’s strike: TUC appeals to Jonathan

    Chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Kwara State, Mr Israel Adebisi, has  appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to wade into the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by Research Institutes’ workers..

    Adebisi told The Nation that the action involved research institutes, including those in the health, agriculture and education sectors.

    “The development would have adverse effect on Nigeria’s quest to research breakthroughs. At present, we have all these research institutes scattered in many ministries and as such our demands include merger of all the institutes under a commission, the National Research Institutes Commission (NARICOM).

    “We are also calling for adequate funding of the institutes and to give us the same privileges like universities and skipping of one grade level as is done in government employment,’’ he said.

    He said  various member unions of the institutes had negotiated with their ministries since last year on their demands.

    Adebisi said the research institutes started the strike on February 4, after the Federal Government failed to look into their demands, adding that Nigeria has more than 30 research institutes.

  • Mark mourns as TUC seeks declaration of state of emergency

    Mark mourns as TUC seeks declaration of state of emergency

    Senate President David Mark yesterday lamented the gruesome murder of the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chinwike Asadu in Enugu last weekend.

    Mark, in a message of condolence to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar, bemoaned Asadu’s assassination and said the late police chief served the nation meritoriously.

    He decried the renewed violence in some parts of the country and called on security operatives to rise up to the challenge.

    In the statement by his media aide Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, Mark said: “The continued loss of lives to violence crimes attracts the condemnation of all right thinking members of the society.

    “The assassination of Kwara State Commissioner of Police is to say the least regrettable and an affront.

    “We suddenly find ourselves in a society where life has become so cheap and almost meaningless. We must do all we can within the ambits of the law to halt these menace.

    “That is the only way we can guarantee that the late police commissioner did not die in vain.”

    He sympathised with the Nigerian Police and the immediate family of the deceased, praying God to give them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

    Also yesterday, the Rivers State Chapter of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) said the assassination called for the declaration of a state of emergency on security by President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Union Chairman Chika Onuegbu who spoke in Port Harcourt, described as unfortunate, the assassination of Asadu in Enugu, his home state, He also said it was very sad that the police boss’ orderly and driver were severely shot.

    He noted that the assassination of the police chief, at a time Boko Haram suicide bombers and other fundamentalists were killing innocent people and destroying valuable property, called for serious concern.

    Onuegbu said: “It will not be out of place for President Jonathan to declare a state of emergency on security in Nigeria. Imagine the assassination of a commissioner of police by hoodlums, who were bold enough to make away with his injured orderly’s rifle!

    “Innocent people are being wasted in Nigeria on a daily basis. Kidnappers, armed robbers, cultists, sea pirates, suicide bombers and other criminals have been let loose. Those at the helm of affairs should not appear helpless and clueless.

    “The protection of lives and property is the essence of governance. Criminals should not be allowed to continue to have a field day and make it to appear as if nobody is in charge. It is quite pathetic. Urgent action must be taken, to stop the dastardly acts forthwith.”

     

     

     

     

     

  • TUC hails plan to acquire 30 aircraft for domestic operators

    The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) yesterday backed the Federal Government’s plan to acquire 30 aircraft to boost domestic operations in the aviation industry.

    Mr Musa Lawal, TUC’s General Secretary, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the congress was supportive of any positive policy that would enable the government to achieve its objectives.

    Lawal was reacting to the disclosure by Mr Yakubu Dati, General Manager, Corporate Communications, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), of the government plan while inspecting the renovated Benin Airport.

    Dati had said that the aircraft would be distributed to domestic airline operators, a departure from the old practice, where they were given money from the Aviation Intervention Fund to shore up their businesses. “We are not against the government leasing aircraft to private operators who can manage them very well and return our money because the planes will be bought with public funds,’’ Lawal said. He said in the past, Nigeria Airways was grounded because some people booked seats without paying under the guise of being on official duty.

    The TUC scribe said that the government must ensure that the funds to be invested in the planes were recovered. He urged the government to learn from past mistakes and ensure that the exercise was well executed to achieve its intended results.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • TUC warns lawmakers on zero allocation to SEC

    •Suggests investigation, prosecution of Oteh

    The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has criticised the approved zero allocation in the 2013 budget for the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) by the National Assembly.

    The congress, in a statement signed by its President-General, Comrade Peter Esele and Acting Secretary-General, Comrade Musa Lawal, said the lawmakers should follow due process by directing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate and prosecute the SEC Director-General, Ms Arunma Oteh, instead of starving workers in the commission over ego feud that has nothing to do with the welfare of the workers and the nation’s economy.

    It warned that such action by the lawmakers to cause more hardship on the workers as a result of the feud it had with the Director-General of the commission would incur the wrath of the workers.

    The House of Representatives has failed to approve the budget of the SEC in the 2013 budget over a long-running feud Ms Oteh had with the House, after she accused members of a committee set up to probe the capital market of soliciting bribes from the commission.

    The statement reads in part: “We are against the tough stance taken by the National Assembly on SEC by the approved zero allocation for the commission because such action by the lawmakers will bring untold hardship to the workers in the commission as a result of the feud.

    “The organised labour will have no choice than to defend workers should their salaries from January 2013 be delayed over the feud.

    “We call on the National Assembly to follow due process by directing the EFCC and any other government relevant anti-graft agency to investigate and prosecute the SEC director-general, instead of starving workers of the commission over ego feud that has nothing to do with their welfare and the nation’s economy.”

    TUC said the National Assembly should be cautious in taking measures to tackle SEC, in order not to push the economy back into recession.

    “We urge the National Assembly to take action by calling on the nation’s anti-graft agency to prosecute Ms Oteh, instead of infringing on the rights of the workers,” it added.

    The National Assembly on Friday passed the 2013 budget with an increase from N4.92 trillion to N4.98 trillion. The figure has a difference of N62 billion as against the proposal presented by President Goodluck Jonathan in October.

    Both chambers of the National Assembly considered a report of the Joint Committee on Appropriation and Finance on the 2013 Appropriation Act. The lawmakers warned that all unutilised capital expenditure in the 2012 budget should be rolled over to form part of the 2013 Appropriation Act.

    They retained the $79 per barrel oil benchmark price for the budget, higher than the $75 a barrel proposed by the President.

  • Look beyond tenure, TUC tells leaders

    Look beyond tenure, TUC tells leaders

    The Trade Union Congress on Monday advised Nigerian leaders to look beyond their term of office as that would help them to provide credible leadership for the people.

    The President of the congress, Mr. Peter Esele, gave the advice in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Monday.

    He said that Nigerian leaders always failed to implement policies that would benefit the people while in office but would always urge their successors to do same.

    He urged the elite not to be shortsighted on national issues but to be responsible and shun all acts that could portray them as manipulators of the masses.

    He advised President Goodluck Jonathan not to fall into such class after his tenure.

    “My advice to the president is, president you may also fall into their class tomorrow. Now you are the Commander in Chief, the Peoples Democratic Party has two-third to pass anything it needs to pass.

    “So, what it needs to do is to look at Nigeria and see what is not working in this country.

    “When you now look at it then we will all now sit down and say, let us now do things that will make things work.

    “That would make the Nigerian youths to dream, live in this country and achieve their dreams,’’ Esele told NAN.

    He noted that the fight for the 2015 presidency was not in the interest of Nigerians, but for selfish reasons.