The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Unions

  • ‘Town unions grow communities’

    The three tiers of government have been urged to partner with town unions because they are agents of community development.

    The President-General of the Association of Imo State Indigenous Town Unions, Chief Emeka Diwe, gave the advice at the inauguration of Owerri, Imo State, zone chapter of the Association of Indigenous Town Unions, Aba, Abia State. He said the object of town unionism is grassroots development.

    “Town unions are the real agents of development which all levels of government should partner with for the welfare of the people. There is no doubt that town unions have fast tracked development of their respective communities. Nobody can claim ignorance of the fact that town unions in many areas of Igbo land established primary and secondary schools, community markets, institution of scholarship schemes for indigent students, maintenance of roads, law and order within their jurisdiction. In fact, at the end of civil war in 1970, town union gave hope to the Igbos. So, town unions are synonymous with development in Igbo land.

    “Town Unions have through various ways offered support to our people who were affected in the crisis in the North East and other crisis ridden areas. So, the importance of town unions in community development cannot be over-emphasised.”

    He debunked reports that town unions are political structures which are set up for the purposes of election.

    “Town Union is political, but not partisan. Town union members can belong to any political party of their choice but we don’t support any political party. Town Union is the only identity of the Igbo man that has stood the test of time. I assure you that it is the most democratic structure found in Igbo land. Town Unions can guide members on political decisions, particularly the election of quality people in leadership positions in the society. For instance, we have been sensitizing our members on the need to shun money politics. This is because the person who gives you money to be elected and runs to Abuja only to return during the next elections is not fit to be called a representative. So, we have a duty to enlighten our people to support people who are conscious of the development. Town Unions are only for development. This is why we say; Town Union, Development to the Grassroots,” he said.

    Earlier in his address, Chief Whip of Owerri zone chapter in Aba, Dr. Bartholomew Eze noted the responsibilities of town unions in mobilizing and enlightening the citizenry for sustainable community development as well as the development of structures for improving the quality of life of local communities in Imo state and her indigenes.

    Eze commended the contributions of the President General in championing the course of town unionism in Imo State and beyond and described him as a man endowed with rare leadership qualities.

  • Nasarawa: Tertiary institutions union set to go on strike

    Academic and non-academic staff unions in three tertiary institutions in Nasarawa State have threatened to go on strike over the government’s failure to meet their demands.

    Members of the unions in the Nasarawa State Polytechnic, Lafia; College of Education, Akwanga, and the College of Agriculture, Lafia, are threatening to embark on strike over issues bordering on staff welfare and administration.

    The workers had embarked on a strike that lasted for six months in 2013, but was suspended for five weeks following the intervention of the institutions’ governing councils.

    An official of the unions told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on condition of anonymity at the weekend in Abuja that the workers were waiting to collect their pay slips on Monday.

    He said the unions had met and decided to embark on the strike on Tuesday if their pay slips did not reflect their promotion arrears, which was part of their demands.

    “It is obvious that the government does not care about the education sector, especially in these three institutions.

    “We were in this struggle with the state university, but the government singled it out to address its challenges and remained adamant on our plight.

    “I assure you if our expectations are not met by Monday, we are definitely going on strike,’’ he added.

     

  • Why we’re backing sacked poly workers, by unions

    The national leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and that of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) yesterday explained their reasons for backing the 32 sacked workers of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic in Owo, Ondo State.

    The unions alleged that the workers were being victimised by the institution’s management and the government.

    They spoke with reporters through their representatives- the Zone C Coordinator of ASUP, Mr. Adewale Dosunmu and the National Secretary of SSANIP, Monday Jegede, after the court session.

    The unionists said they were at the National Industrial Court to support the sacked workers, comprising 10 lecturers and 22 non-teaching staff.

    Dosunmu said efforts by the national bodies of the unions to intervene in the matter had failed, following the refusal of the government’s representatives to listen to the national bodies.

    The Zone C Coordinator of ASUP said: “This case is not new to me. I was a victim of victimisation. For 26 months, I was jobless. Femi Falana Chambers handled my case at the National Industrial Court, Lagos and I was eventually paid my 26 months’ salary. This matter is similar to it and I think my case should be used as a reference. I see victory at the end and I believe my people will be liberated.

    “These people are being victimised. They were accused of many things. They called them politicians. ASUP is a union; it is not a political party. They went on strike to demand their rights. Instead of being justified, they were victimised. ASUP national body has written letters and mediated in the matter. But when we realised that these people were buying time, we concluded that the judiciary is the last hope and this is why we are in court today.”

    Jegede alleged that several times he had attempted to see the governor, but was denied access to him.

    He said: “As the National Secretary of SSANIP, I wrote to the governor seeking audience with him. I followed this up about six times, but they disallowed me from seeing him. Later, we contacted the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and it intervened. But the governor refused. The workers are being punished because they are demanding their rights. They refused dialogue because they have no genuine reasons for sacking the workers.

    “We contacted the NLC. On the inauguration day of the governor, I was here, the President of NLC was here in Akure. We tried to meet the governor on this issue, but he refused. Before we attempted to meet him, we met the Rector and the Chairman of the Governing Council twice, but they did not give us genuine reasons.”

    Justice A.N. Ubaka adjourned the case till October 4 for hearing.

  • Unions issue ultimatum

    THE Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) have given a 10-day ultimatum to the management of Akwa Ibom International Airport, Uyo Akwa Ibom to improve the conditions of service of their members at the airport or face a showdown.

    They gave the ultimatum in a letter dated April 15, addressed to the Managing Director and Chief Eexecutive Officer, Ibom Airport Development Company Limited, Akwa Ibom International Airport, Uyo.

    It was signed by Mr Abioye Olayinka, the Acting Secretary General of ATSSSAN and Mr Abdulkareem Motajo, the Acting Secretary General of NUATE .

    The unions accused the leadership of the airport management of failure to embrace dialogue in resolving the problems of the welfare of their staff who are members of the unions.

    “Your management chose to deliberately ignore our calls and thereby prompting us to do the needful in accordance with extant rules,” the letter stated.

     

    The unions said that they could no longer allow their members to suffer continued frustration, deprivation and anguish.

    This is coming when we understand that the Governor of the state has continued to initiate friendly policies which the airport’s management had been denying the workers,’’ the memorandum said.

    “Do please be duly put on notice that if by 12.00 hours on 25th April, 2013 , our demands are not met, our Unions shall have no other choice than to give further directives to our members in your organisations in line with trade unions rules,” the memorandum stated.

    The unions also sent copies of the memorandum to various airlines, security agencies and the Minister of Labour and Productivity

     

  • Unions, NAMA set for showdown

    The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association (ATSSSAN) have given the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) a 14-day ultimatum to pay the workers the enhanced salary scheme.

    The workers, in a warning letter to the management of NAMA, which was signed by the executive members of NUATE, Abioye Olayinka, and Abdulkareem Motajo, said they would ground the services of the agency if their demands were not met.

    But NAMA said that a committee had been set up to study the new condition of service with the labour leaders to have an acceptable document for the benefit of the workers and the agency’s management.

    The letter states: “By this general bulletin, all NAMA workers are hereby placed on red alert, as we can authoritatively state that NAMA management has persistently continued to blackmail union leaders and threaten our members directly or indirectly.”

    But NAMA has denied this allegation. General Manager, Public Affairs, NAMA, Supo Atobatele, said in a statement there was no cause for alarm “over the purported strike notice issued by the said two unions NUATE and ATSSSAN on the delay in the implementation of new salary.”

    He said none of its workers or union leaders is being threatened by management.

    He said: “The latest development, however, is that a committee has been set up by the management to look into the grey areas of the new condition of service. We implore the union leaders to cooperate with the management to sort out the grey areas and come up with an acceptable document for the benefit of all.”

    In a related development, the NAMA has put in place the necessary logistics to start area radar control in the country.

    The Managing Director of the agency, Nnamdi Udoh, explained that area radar control is an air traffic control service, provided for airplanes flying within the Flight Information Region (FIR).

    According to him, many air traffic controllers have been trained to handle this operation at both Kano and Lagos area control centres for flight operations in the nation’s airspace.

     

     

     

  • Unions, aviation agencies meet on debt recovery

    Unions, aviation agencies meet on debt recovery

    • Air Nigeria’s pilots petition CBN over N35.5b

     

    Two days after Arik Air resumed flights at airports across the country, union members and heads of aviation agencies yesterday reopened talks on the huge indebtedness by domestic airlines.

    At the meeting, which was held at the headquarters of the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency ( NAMA), were officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN), the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Ministry of Aviation.

    A source said the meeting dwelt on how to recover the debts without putting pressure in the system. Other strategies were explored.

    Also yesterday, reports that Arik Air gave directive that it would not permit the Managing Director of FAAN, George Uriesi, to board its aircraft were swiftly denied by the airline.

    The airline’s spokesman, Banji Ola, said in a telephone interview, that he was not aware of such directive.

    He said : “ I am not aware of such directive. I cannot confirm that because at no time did we give such directive, so I am wondering where that came from.”

    Meanwhile, staff of Air Nigeria, have petitioned the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), asking it to investigate the disappearance of the N35.5 billion aviation intervention fund given to the carrier last year. The fund was meant for streanthening the firm’s operations before the recent shut down of its domestic flights.

    In the petition dated September 12, 2012, entitled, “ Closure of Air Nigeria, call for investigation of N35.5billion Aviation Intervention Fund,’’ the branch chairman of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), Air Nigeria, Roland Ahmed, said the body wants the CBN Governor to probe the N35.5 billion facility drawn by the carrier.

    It said, ‘’The fund was released after much pressure to enable Nigeria airlines refinance their huge debts as well as inject life to the administration of aviation.

    ‘’We understand that the fund extended to Air Nigeria was guaranteed by the airline’s main banker, United Bank for Africa. To this end, we feel obliged to intimate you of the recent closure of Air Nigeria by its Chairman, Jimoh Ibrahim.

    ‘’Permit us sir, to draw your attention to this, as we believe it to be an anomaly and a defeat of the noble intention of the Federal Government through the CBN. We therefore implore your office to take immediate steps to safeguard, the N35.5billion public fund, which now appears trapped by Air Nigeria’s closure.’’

    The workers also noted that the airline’s Air Operator Certificate (A0C) expires after 60 days. It lamented that the statement credited to the airline’s chairman that it would re-open for business in 12 months time, was contrary to the provisions of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.

    The CBN had, while injecting the fund to the sector, said “airlines can now partake from the funds and those that are indebted to banks can refinance their loans and amortise them over a period of 10-15 years.”

    The funds were to be dedicated to the airlines that meets the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s certifications. It was also meant to address all the issues of technical standards and planes’ airworthiness.

    The Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi had recently called for a review of the fund because it was not delivering on its mandate.