The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Unionists

  • Their lordships, the unionists

    Their lordships, the unionists

    Magistrates in Cross River State threatened a warning strike from last week Wednesday. Thankfully, it appears they’ve not followed through with the threat –  at least as of now. The two-week warning strike was projected to forerun an indefinite strike if the state government fails to accede to their demands.

    Their lordships, under the aegis of the Magistrates Association of Nigeria, Cross River chapter, issued a seven-day ultimatum to the state government penultimate Wednesday over poor working conditions. They alleged career stagnation, undue exposure to hazards and paltry allowances as some of the issues they were beefing with the government. In a communiqué at the end of their congress in Calabar, the state capital, the magistrates threatened to desert the temples of justice from 13th November on a two-week warning strike, and subsequently make the strike indefinite if their complaints aren’t addressed.

    The communiqué signed by the association’s president, Godwin Onah, and secretary, Solomon Abuo, alleged that the state government stagnated magistrates since 2015 unlike other civil servants, who were promoted by incumbent Governor Bassey Otu between January and April, this year. The association described the N15,000 monthly imprest given to magistrates in Cross River as meagre compared with their colleagues in other states who “receive between N200,000 and N250,000 monthly.” It demanded rehabilitation of magistrates’ courts across the state and provision of official vehicles to magistrates. It also deplored the state government’s failure to pay yearly robing allowance to magistrates as obtainable nationwide.

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    The association said in the communiqué inter alia: “To protect the welfare of members, uphold minimum standards and sanctity of the magistrates in the state, we need immediate action on our demands. Magistrates are seen daily on public or commercial vehicles, most times alongside litigants and criminal suspects standing trial before them. This is a security risk to their lives.” Among others, the magistrates demanded immediate implementation of promotion and regularisation of their members across all cadres with attendant financial benefits, and payment of all accrued arrears. They also wanted official accommodation for magistrates, and that government should bear burial expenses of any deceased magistrate.

    The congress resolved that failure by the state government to grant its demands within seven days would leave its members no option than go on a warning strike for two weeks “in line with the extant labour laws…and subsequently embarking on an indefinite strike action until our demands are fully attended to.”

    There is something awkward about their lordships’ recourse to the nuclear option, given the dignified insularity that typically attends their profession. But since they’re there already, the state government should act with speed to avert the threatened strike. Only that their lordships too must realise there are limitations to government financial capacity, and they should work with a more realistic time frame.

  • Unionists seek education budgetary allocation review

    Unionists yesterday urged the Federal Government to prioritise education and review its budget from 7.04 per cent to 20 per cent.

    They spoke in Lagos in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    The unionists said only 20 per cent budgetary allocation would improve the standard and ensure quality of education at the basic, secondary and tertiary institutions.

    The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) reports that “Education for All, 2000 – 2015” has recommended between 15 to 20 per cent for all countries.

    NAN reports that the Federal Government allocated N605.8 billion for education, which stands at 7.04 per cent of the 2018 budget.

    The President, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Mr. Usman Dutse, said policy somersault, poor funding, infrastructure decay and poor remuneration were major challenges confronting the sector.

    He said in the last two decades, the education sector had witnessed a decline in quality and standard.

    Dutse suggested that the government must show more genuine commitment to the development of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) by investing more in polytechnics and technical colleges.

    According to him, there is nothing to celebrate in the last two decades concerning education.

    “The government has continued to pay little or no attention to the sector.

    “Education has not received its due attention at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

    “We are still confronted by lack of government’s commitment, policy somersault, poor remuneration of teachers and lecturers, lack of laboratories for practicals, among many other challenges.

    “We urge the government to increase the education budget in line with the UNESCO’s recommendations,” Dutse said.

    He said without adequate funding, the nation’s educational standard would continue to fall below standard.

    “Technical and vocational education is the future of the country and can bring about the needed change in the economy, but the government is not funding it.

    “Technical education is capital intensive. You need equipment, laboratories and manpower to achieve the best, but go to our polytechnics, they do not have all these things,”  Dutse said.

    He hailed Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) for providing intervention funds on research and training for lecturers, as well as infrastructure developments in most tertiary institutions.

    Dutse said without TETFUND, most institutions would have been in a state of despise.

    Mr Segun Raheem, the immediate past chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Lagos State Wing, said government at all levels must place premium on education.

    According to him, countries like Finland, Singapore, UK and U.S. have quality education because they place premium on education and give priority to their teachers.

    Raheem said policy somersault was also a challenge to the sector, adding that the Federal Ministry of Education must have a permanent template.

    “We need to redefine ourselves. As a Nigerian and an optimist, I think we will get there with more commitment.

    “We need to look at what our education was like in the 1960s, 1970s and now.

    “We need to look at what was our teaching/learning outcome then and what it is now.

    “We need to identify what are the hindrances and how we can ameliorate them,” he said.

     

  • Unionists score Buhari average

    Former  Senior Staff Association of Nigerian University (SAANU), Lagos State University chapter chairman, Comrade Funmilayo Sessi, has put Federal Government performances at average.

    Sessi said despite the meagre resources that were being allocated to universities, some unscrupulous vice chancellors help themselves to the fund.

    She and her colleagues had always been at the forefront of whistle-blowing, adding that each time such alarm is raised, management would prefer to deal with the whistle-blowers  rather than probe such allegations.

    “I cannot say the government has performed up to average in my assessment, but while we are lamenting poor funding of our universities I am challenging the National Universities Commission to put on modalities to ensure money allocated to universities are not diverted into private hands by some of the vice chancellors.

    “Go to universities and you will be embarrassed by the decay in infrastructures and students hostels. Yet, government gives subventions to these universities every month. This government has not fared well at all.

    Further, Sessi tasked the Federal Government to increase funding for research to address the nation’s socio-cultural and economic challenges.

    “It’s a pity that many companies are relocating out of Nigeria due to power failure. Why can’t government provide enough funding for research into this areas and solved it once and for all?

    She continued: “Look at the quality of those representing us at the National and state houses of Assembly. Many of them are a disgrace to Nigeria. I can say with adequate funding, a research could be conducted that will lead to putting in place a standard that our politicians must meet, failure of which they cannot hold public office.”

    A lecturer at the Department of Language and Linguistics LASU, Dr Oluwakemi Aboderin-Shonibare, scored Federal Government below 50 per cent.

  • Unionists, CSOs, media collaborate on agitation for LG autonomy in Osun 

    The Civil Society Organizations and the media in Osun state have teamed up with NULGE on the agitation for the autonomy for Local Government in the ongoing amendment of the 1999 constitution.

    Addressing a press conference under the auspices of Osun Coalition for Actualization of Local Government Autonomy, the group urged the State House of Assembly to support and vote for local government autonomy.

    The National Vice  President of NULGE,  South West, Comrade Oludare Famoofo highlighted progress in the agitation for the local government autonomy and urged all stakeholders to come together to ensure the passage of the bill.

    Also, Coordinator of the Coalition, Comrade Wale Adebisi and the Director General of the Committee for Democracy and the Rights of the People (CDRP), Comrade Amitolu Shittu urged the Osun State House of Assembly to pass the local government Autonomy bill into law.

    According to the coalition: “we urge Osun State House of Assembly to conduct a transparent public hearing on local government  autonomy without hesitation so as to allow the people of the state to have input in the process.

    “We urge the members of Osun State House of Assembly to be bold enough to face the reality and act in accordance with the aspiration of the people they represent by voting YES to local government autonomy.

    “We appeal to our amiable governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola to support Local Government autonomy and ensure the passage of the bill to further demonstrate that he is truly a man of the people and that he will always put the people first.”

  • Megacity: Unionists urge Lagos to accommodate slum dwellers

    Trade unionists, activist, diplomats, academics and other stakeholders, have called on Lagos State Government to find alternative accommodation and means of livelihood to victims of demolished  slums, shanties, road side stores. Many residents, whose houses were demolished got dislocated in the state’s drive towards mega city project.

    At a debate organised by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in commemoration of its 40th Anniversary in Nigeria, which  focused on “The poor must live – Demolitions of markets and workplaces in Lagos”, some of the panelists submited that people’s welfare should always be paramount in all programmes and policy formulations to check the high rate of unemployment, crime and restiveness.

    The debate also focused on how to ensure that in turning the Lagos to a megacity, the informal sector is not harmed, but given a level of protection.

    A legal practitioner, Adeola Samuel-Ilori advocated that the informal sector should be aware and exercise their rights so as not to be taken for granted by the government.

    “The problem is that many people dont know their rights and the politicians take advantage of their ignorance to subject them to all sorts of maltreatments,”he said.

    German’s Consular-General in Nigeria, Ingo Herber, who was the special guest of honour at the event, hinted that the consulate and the Lagos State will be partnering towards improving people’s welfare in the informal sector.

    Resident eepresentative, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Ulrich Thum, advised those in attendance to always use their power as tax payers to demand for their rights from the state.

  • Save us from sacked unionists, firm cries out

    •‘Leave me out of your crisis’

    Linda Manufacturing Company Ltd., producers of the popular Expression weavon, has called on the police to save the firm from its sacked unionists.

    The unionists, the firm alleged, have halted its productions for over two weeks under the guise of industrial unrest.

    The firm’s Operation Manager, Monday Nnah, told reporters that the sacked unionists have been preventing workers from entering the firm’s factory on Iju road, Lagos.

    The action, he said, followed the sack of eight unionists who instigated workers at the weavon and brushage sections of the factory on January 26, to vandalise company properties.

    Nnah said the workers were instigated by union officials who claimed to be protesting against poor ventilation and exploitation by supervisors, among others.

    He added that the unionists refused to collect the query issued to them.

    Nnah said another query was not replied, forcing the firm to terminate their employment.

    The Operations Manager fingered the National President of the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees (NUCFRLANMPE), Comrade Boniface Isok, for the industrial unrest.

    When contacted, Isok denied the allegations, saying he had nothing to do with the unrest.

    He said he and his executives were exploring ways of resolving the industrial dispute.

  • Unionists blame govts for continent’s woes

    Unionists blame govts for continent’s woes

    African leaders must take the blame for the various socio-economic challenges limiting the continent’s emergence as an economic giant, unionists have said.

    They spoke at the “Human and Trade Union Rights Network of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), African Region”, hosted by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja.

    The two-day event, which drew participants from some African countries, noted that the insecurity challenge, though a universal issue, overwhelmed African countries due to greed and corruption of the leaders.

    NLC President Comrade Ayuba Wabba, in his opening address, noted that corruption was at the heart of the problems in Africa and Nigeria.

    “The problem of unemployment could not be isolated from the issue of insecurity, which has been a real threat to all of us, until recent time. There is no doubt that we are sitting on a time bomb when we look at the rate of migration across borders,” he warned.

    He condemned the government’s position on privatisation, warning that it was only abandoning her responsibility.

    He lamented that the government had mortgaged most of the achievements made by the past leaders who emerged just immediately after the nation’s independence.