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Tag: TUC

  • We won’t accept selective minimum wage, TUC vows  

    We won’t accept selective minimum wage, TUC vows  

    The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has described Vice President Yomi Osinbajo’s suggestion the yet- to- be agreed minimum wage will be selectively implemented for workers as retrogressive and unacceptable.

    It said the minimum wage implementation must be holistic.

    The congress also condemned delay in constituting the 29- member committee for National Minimum Wage.

    It called on the federal government not to task the patience of workers beyond limit as the current wage structure is no longer tenable when viewed against the economic reality on the ground.

    In a communiqué at the end of its National Executive Committee meeting signed by the President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama and Secretary General, Comrade Musa-Lawal Ozigi, the Congress frowned at clamour for the fragmentation of the country in the name of restructuring.

    It affirmed its commitment to Nigeria based on fairness, justice and equity.

    The communiqué reads: “In one united Nigeria, NEC advocates restructuring that enhances efficiency of government business and creating a society where we have equal stake in the survival of the nation.

    “The NEC-in-Session affirms and subscribes to unity of all Nigerians but oppose to politically motivated statements on restructuring.”

    The congress also faulted decision of the government to give loan to the Distribution Companies (DISCOs) to meet electricity meter supply.

    It described it as a contradiction of privatization and asked the government not use public funds to fund private businesses.

    The congress also demand establishment of a Secondary Education Commission, adding that unlike other tiers of education in the country, there is presently no commission in place to regulate the operations of secondary school education.

    It condemned the proposed amendment to the Nigerian Liquefied and National Gas Act (NLNG Act) “because it will damage the country’s image and harm the much needed foreign investment bearing in mind the implication for security and the attendant job loses with its effect on the citizenry.’’

  • TUC backs restructuring

    The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) on Friday added its voice to the agitation for the restructuring of the country, saying any restructuring should ensure fairness, justice and equity.

    The TUC president, Mr. Bobboi Kaigama, said the Congress would support any restructuring that would give all citizens equal stake in the Nigeria project.

    He spoke to journalists at the end of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Congress in Lagos.

    According to Kaigama, the NEC is in support of restructuring that enhances efficiency of government business and creating a society where everyone have equal stake in the continued existence of the nation.

    “The NEC affirms its support to the unity of all Nigerians, but opposes politically motivated statements on restructuring. The Congress will not support anybody calling for disunity in the country,’’ he said.

    On minimum wage, the TUC president condemned the delay in constituting the 29-member committee even after the organized labour had sent its lists of representatives to the government.

    He said labour would not accept any plan to pay minimum wage to selected few, insisting that the implementation of the wage should be holistic.

    Minimum wage, he said, should be for all workers and should remain on the Exclusive List and not on the Concurrent List.

  • NLC, TUC: we’re for one Nigeria

    NLC, TUC: we’re for one Nigeria

    Labour yesterday warned that the ongoing agitations across the country could lead to disintegration.

    It called on leaders to arrest the drift to anarchy and pledged its support for a united Nigeria.

    The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), at a joint news conference in Abuja, declared that the clamour by the youths for secession and the quit notice,  symbolised “the intensity of greed, the implacable arrogance and desperation of the elite”, some of who it accused of funding or sponsoring the hate campaigns.

    NLC President Ayuba Wabba and TUC President Bobboi Kaigama said while the country could not run away from the fact that there were contentious issues which needed to be resolved, resorting to threats  would only amount to abdicating responsibility.

    Wabba, who read the text of the briefing, said most of the issues could be resolved through good governance, sustainable and transparent fight against corruption and addressing inequities and injustice in the system.

    He said: “Retreating into our tribal or ethnic enclaves without first addressing these issues, for us, amounts to abdication of collective responsibility and no more than making a bad case worse. This is why we speak to the ordinary Nigerians and Nigerians of good conscience to stand up and fight the evil in the system instead of attempting to destroy the whole nation.”

    “You have been witnesses to the degeneration of the national conversation into threats and counter-threats; of pulling down the federation by disparate and desperate forces, all of which were conveyed in vile and base language.

    “Obviously, these persistent hot exchanges and attacks tend to threaten the very foundation and integrity of our sovereignty and unity; and therefore do not represent the true feelings of patriotic Nigerians for one another. Rather, they symbolise the intensity of greed, the implacable arrogance and desperation of the elites, some of whom have been funding or sponsoring the hate campaigns that can only lead to the disintegration of our dear nation.

    “We speak out today as a pan-Nigeria organisation that believes in the sovereignty and indissolubility of ONE NIGERIA. We speak out because we are not persuaded by the base arguments that a fragmented Nigeria best suits any of our members.

    “We speak out because a physical conflict will hurt us all; most particularly workers, Pensioners and their families who will be the most direct and immediate casualties. We speak out because dialogue remains the most tested and result-oriented form of conflict resolution mechanism and should be given full rein.

    “Thus, those fanning the embers of disunity need to be discouraged and schooled on the realities of war. In the same vein, we appeal to all parts of Nigeria, and indeed, all Nigerians not to fall cheaply for the glamorisation of conflict or war, as a solution to our self-inflicted crisis.”

  • NLC, TUC, others picket firm for alleged non-payment of salary

    NLC, TUC, others picket firm for alleged non-payment of salary

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Trade Union Congress, TUC United Action for Democracy (UAD) and workers of Automobile, Boatyards, Transport Equipment and Allied Senior Staff Association (AUTOBATE) have picketed Galba Nigerian Plc over alleged non-payment of salaries. Workers alleged that they are being owed 19 months salary.

    The unions, which barricaded the entrance to the company, displayed placards with inscriptions such as, “Stop the violation of condition of service,” “It is a crime to owe workers;” “No pay, no more work;”said the picketing was to attract attention to the plight of the workers.

    The branch chairman of AUTOBATE in Galba, Comrade Innocent Udongfo, accused the company of negligence and urged it to meet the demands of the workers.

    Udongfo said: “We can no longer pay our rents and our children are out of school. We are calling on the management to pay our salaries from 2015 till today. And to remit all our union dues from 2010 till date. They should implement our total emolument of the condition of service duly signed in the employment manual.

    “Several negotiations with Galba management could not work because they always want to play over our intelligence. They don’t even listen to us. Anytime we have opportunity to meet with the management they will walk us out.”

    The General Secretary of AUTOBATE, Mr. Sola Olorunfemi, explained the union had made several attempt to resolve the issue but regretted that Galba had avoided the invitations.

    Olorunfemi said, “We came all the way from Lagos after all efforts engage the Galba management in meaningful discussion proved abortive. They owe the workers since 2015 November. We have made the TUC in River State to dialogue with the company over this matter. But the management has been playing pranks for over 18 months now in order not to get this salaries paid.

    “We have recorded about five persons dead over the level of suffering inflicted on the workers by the company. We will hold this company hostage, there will be no practical operation in this premises until our demand are met.

    However, calls made to the Managing Director of Galba Nigerian Plc, Mr. Mike Appia, to get the company’s reaction were neither picked nor returned, but Administrative Officer of the firm, Mr. Dan Adi, said has nothing to say on the claims of the staff members.

  • TUC: employers no longer adhere to pact with workers

    TUC: employers no longer adhere to pact with workers

    Organised labour has condemed some employers for what it called insincerity in handling some agreements reached with workers.

    Labour is worried the employers’ alleged failure to negotiate with workers before laying them off or withhold their benefits.

    Trade Union Congress (TUC) President Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, noted that employers had turned to politicians, who could no longer be trusted to keep to agreements.

    Kaigama, who spoke with The Nation, said the development had become commonplace because of the prevailing recession, as employers now took advantage of workers at every opportunity.

    His words: “The fact that there is a little drop in profit margin is not an excuse to lay off committed workers. Between July 2015 and now, the senior staff of food and beverage union has lost thousands of workers to an already over-saturated labour market.

    “The food and beverage sector had millions of workers in its employ until recently when the issue of violation of collective agreement and redundancy, arising from forex problems, among others, became the order of the day. Employers of labour have become politicians and hardly adhere to agreements.”

    Kaigama lamented the atmosphere under which employers currently operate, stressing that no company spends less than half a billion naira to power its plants  monthly.

    He said with diesel now selling for between N250 and N300 per litre, depending on where its being bought, those that could not sustain their businesses have left the shores of the country with their products still flooding Nigerian markets.

    “At its peak, the textile sector provided direct jobs to close to half a million Nigerians and millions of indirect jobs. Sadly, over 90 per cent core investors have since gone into importation.

    “We will be glad if the government can do for the industry what it did for the power sector by making solid arrangement to sell gas to this industry at the same rate it is selling to the electricity distribution companies (DISCOS) since they both require this commodity for production,”he said.

    He said the footwear and leather industry is also combating the challenge of influx of fake tyres from China and fairly used ones. The development, according to him, poses great risk to the masses who are daily on the roads.

    Citing statistics from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kaigama said a total of 4,005 deaths in 7,657 crashes were recorded at the end of week 47 of 2016, with fake tyres, contributing largely to it.

    Kaigama said the same evil that befell the textile, food and beverage, footwear and leather sectors have since befallen the pharmaceutical, chemical, aviation and iron and steel sectors, among others.

    “Reports have it that despite billions of naira so far spent on Aladja, Katsina and Ajaokuta they are yet to fully come on stream,” he said.

    The pulp and paper industries at Jebba, Iwopin and Oku-Iboku, he said, have all long been abandoned and forgotten despite several appeals to the government.

    Kaigama also called on the government to fully implement the National Automotive Policy initiative launched in 2016 through the Bank of Industry (BoI) to assist the middle class patronise local vehicle assembly plants.

    He said through this initiative, many auto plants would boost their sales, stabilise the market and create jobs, even in this period recession.

    The labour leader observed that the financial sector had also been hit by the economic lull, with the insurance and banking sectors not faring better.

  • Labour urges FG to inaugurate committee on minimum wage

    The Nigerian labour movement has called on the Federal Government to accelerate the inauguration of the Tripartite Committee for the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage for workers in the country.

    The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Ayuba Wabba, and his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Mr. Bobboi Kagama, made the call while reacting to the fallout of the May Day celebration on Monday in Abuja.

    Nigerian workers had expressed anger and disappointment at the non-implementation of the minimum wage thereby disrupting the 2017 May Day celebration.

    Wabba said the constitution of the tripartite committee was imperative as the economy was not friendly to workers.

    He said workers have today expressed their sadness because many of them have not received their salaries, adding that it was a demonstration of anger on the situation in the country.

    “The challenges workers are passing through are enormous, workers have expected that either the President or the vice president would have been present at the rally to respond to workers yearning and anticipation,” the NLC president said.

    “Workers attitude today have shown that it is an accumulation of anger, and that the economic situation is biting very hard on them as many of them cannot pay their bills.

    “They also expected that the minimum wage will receive accelerated attention and that the pronouncement will be made here but the case is otherwise.”

    Kaigama said the leadership of NLC and TUC sympathised with workers over the current hardship in the country.

    NAN

  • Workers disrupt May Day rally in Abuja

    Workers disrupt May Day rally in Abuja

    Nigerian workers Monday disrupted the May Day rally at the Eagle Square in Abuja forcing the rally to end in chaos without the traditional match pass by labour unions.

    More security had to be drafted into the Eagle Square arena to protect dignitaries invited for the celebration, forming a barricade to prevent the protesters from getting to the invited guest.

    The 2017 May Day celebration attracted the largest crowd of workers in recent years.

    Trouble started when the Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Biola Bawa was called to read the address of the Minister, Senator Chris Ngige who was representing the President.

    Even when the Minister stepped forward to address the workers, they refuse to allow him speak and all efforts to make them return to their seat failed, forcing the minister to return to his seat angrily.

    Some of the workers insisted that if the President could not attend the rally to address them; he would have sent the Vice President instead of the Minister.

    The shout of go back to your seat by the leadership of both the NLC and TUC was greater with a loud no by the workers.

    Efforts by former Edo state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to calm the few workers failed as a few of them who gathered around the podium refused to listen, nor allow the event to continue.

    While many of the workers sat down in their stand watching the development, a few of the workers went round the square chanting no marching, no marching.

    At this stage, the workers who had become tired began to leave the square en-mass, forcing the rally to end in chaos.

    As many of the workers made to leave the arena, the protesting workers took over the podium chanting “we don win, we don win”.

     

  • TUC to Fed Govt: tie N500b Paris Club refund to specific projects

    TUC to Fed Govt: tie N500b Paris Club refund to specific projects

    THE Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has asked the Federal Government to tie the release of the Paris Club refund to specific projects to stop state governments from embarking on wasteful spending.
    The Congress said unless the money is tied to specific projects, what happened when the first tranche of N388 billion was released in December will repeat itself.
    A statement signed by its President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama and Secretary General Comrade Musa-Lawal Ozidi said if necessary things were not put in place, the governors might come cap-in-hand for another round in no distant time.
    President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the Minister of Finance and the Central Bank Governor to release N500 billion Paris Club refund to the 36 states. But the labour body said if the governors had judiciously utilised resources available to them, life would have been better for the average Nigerian.
    The statement said: “One could infer from the foregoing that the President to some extent profoundly means well but some people are determined to frustrate his effort. One would have expected that when the first tranche of money was released, salaries and pensioners would have been paid.
    “We had expected that some meaningful projects would have been embarked upon. Instead, (they) the governors rolled out their drums to receive the billions for personal aggrandisement. This is not the way to go in an era of change.
    “We need not bore you with the numerous cases of suicides and suicide attempts so far recorded this year alone. Workers have become unable to feed their families, pay rents and school fees, let alone provide clothing.
    “A countless times, the President assured us that his government has the welfare of Nigerians at heart. But in reality, it appears not to be so. If governors make judicious use of the monies at their disposal, we can be rest assured that recession will soon be of mere historical significance only.
    “It is therefore expedient that the President recognises the absolute fact that the citizens of this country voted for him because of his pedigree. They voted because they trusted and believed that his administration would be just, prudent, accountable and lead with the fear of God.”
    “The cooperation we anticipated is not there as the centre appears to be going one way while the lawmakers and the judiciary are also going separate ways. As it stands, our fate appears to be hanging on a balance.
    “We are not against government disbursing any money; what we are rather saying is that the federal government should attach the money to projects. Salaries and pensions must be paid till date and in full. We will be disappointed again if we do otherwise. This time we must get our acts right.”

  • TUC to FG: Use Paris Club refund for specific projects

    The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) on Monday asked the Federal Government to tie the release of the Paris Club refund to specific projects by the states.

    This, TUC said is to avoid a situation where state governments will embark on wasteful spending once the money is received.

    The Congress said unless the money is tied to specific projects, what happened when the first tranche of N388 billion was released in December 2016 will repeat itself.

    In a statement signed by its President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama and Secretary General, Comrade Musa-Lawal Ozidi, TUC said if necessary things were not put in place, the governors would come cap-in-hand for another financial support in no distant time.

    President Muhammadu Buhari last week ordered the Minister of Finance and the Central Bank Governor to release N500 billion Paris Club refund to the 36 states, but the labour body said if the governors had judiciously utilize resources available to them, life would have been better for average Nigerian.

    The statement said: “One could infer from the foregoing that the President to some extent profoundly means well but some people are determined to frustrate his efforts. One would have expected that when the first tranche of money was released salaries and pensioners would have been paid.

    “We had expected that some meaningful projects would have been embarked upon; instead (they) the governors rolled out their drums to receive the billions for personal aggrandizement. This is not the way to go in an era of change.

    “We need not bore you with the numerous cases of suicides and suicide attempts so far recorded this year alone. Workers have become unable to feed their families, pay rents and school fees, let alone provide clothing.

    “A countless times the President assured us that his government has the welfare of Nigerians at heart but in reality it appears not to be so. If governors make judicious use of the monies at their disposal, we can be rest assured that recession will soon be of mere historical significance only.

    “It is therefore expedient that the President recognizes the absolute fact that the citizens of this country voted for him because of his pedigree. They voted because they trusted and believed that his administration would be just, prudent, accountable and lead with the fear of God.

    “The cooperation we anticipated is not there as the centre appears to be going one way while the lawmakers and the judiciary are also going separate ways. As it stands, our fate appears to be hanging on a balance.”

     

  • NLC, TUC ask Ebonyi to stop ‘illegal’ pension deduction

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) have asked the Ebonyi  State Governorment to stop violating the  amended Pension Reform Act, 2004.

    The groups said in a statement signed by their presidents, Ayuba Wabba and Boboi Bala Kaigama, that the government’s abuse of the pension law was made known to them by their councils in Ebonyi.

    They said the government has started pension deductions from its workers’ salaries long before it passed its pension law. They also alleged that the operating pension law is in contravention of the contributory ratio in the national pension law which mandates the employer to contribute a minimum of 10 per cent, and employees eight per cent to the contributory pension account.

    According to them, Ebonyi made its percentage contributions five per cent for the employer, and eight per cent for the employees.

    The state, the two labour groups claimed, commenced the implementation of the new law without first putting in place requisite processes or structures, such as adequate sensitisation on the rights of the workers in the scheme by it and the National Pension Commission (PenCom).

    They alleged that none of the recommendations made by workers during the public hearing by the House of Assembly on the bill were included in the law.

    They indicated their willingness to meet with Umahi to find a solution to the issues which they said was troubling.

    “The pension issue is among the other violations (the majority of which are labour issues as captured by Conventions 87 and 98 to which Nigeria is a signatory) the state council has brought to our attention.

    “In consideration of the seriousness of the facts, the leadership of the NLC and TUC will be honoured by a meeting with Your Excellency on March 14, 2017 or on a date more convenient to you to resolve all outstanding issues,” the statement said.

    They added that in implementing the law, the views of workers should be sought as against making laws intended to subjugate them.

    “The views of workers should be taken seriously, especially on this matter. Happily, PenCom has developed a model or template for the states. Indeed, most of them that have keyed into the contributory scheme have improved on the basic provisions in the template.