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Tag: Wabba

  • Minimum wage: There’s limit to our patience, says Wabba

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said the  understanding being exhibited by  workers on the minimum wage issue should not be taken for granted.

    In an interview with The Nation, he said: “There’s limit to the patience and understanding the workers can have on the issue of minimum wage,” warning that labour might be forced to react if the issue was not urgently addressed.

    He said: “It is good for workers to express their fears on the issue of minimum wage, but it’s also good for leaders to be up and doing. For us in Organised Labour, it is an issue that we think that is long overdue and we have gotten commitment from all levels, including the National Assembly that this sue is addressed once and for all.

    “You can even see that in the last one month, an action has been taken, the Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila proposed a bill to the effect that the issue of the review of minimum wage should be a provision of the law, because you are aware that in 2011, what we had was a tripartite agreement that after five years, the minimum wage will be reviewed.

    “But they have even gone one step further by saying that it should not only end up in the tripartite agreement, it should be a product of law. And I think that all of them in the National Assembly, whom we have interfaced with, are ready to do the needful, including if there is supplementary budget today, that they are ready to give it accelerated hearing.

    “Therefore, those fears are real, but we are working assiduously from our perspective to ensure that those issues are addressed.  It is an issue that you need to bring to the attention of the governors, employers, government and Organised Labour. And you know businesses are for profits and anything that will take a dime out of their profits, they are ready to do everything possible to delay it. We are mindful of that. It’s not the first time we are treading this path, you remember in 2010, it was also the same process.

    “But I think when the die is cast, all of us will then know that certainly, when the workers are pushed to the wall, there is a limit to patience and understanding. Certainly, a hungry person, however you explain to him, there is no basis how he will understand. So, we are looking at reality.”

    Wabba said it was clear that N18,000 in the context of the economic reality could not take anyone for a week.

    “ I assure you that we, on this side, will play our role very importantly so that we take into consideration some of the issues that our members have brought to our attention. But I think the important thing is that the process must start and we must see to the fact that this process must have a time-line where we can end it. We shouldn’t allow those workers to die first before the fruit of their labour will manifest,” he said.

    On child labour , Wabba said there is a tripartite committee working to review the law, adding that the Nigeria law is not consistent with the ILO convention on child labour.

    “There is the need to get that law reviewed because you can’t work outside the law, especially when it is a convention.

    “And, especially the age that is being referred to as a child, our old law back at home is not actually consistent with the ILO convention. But as I speak with you, I think we are through with that law.

    ‘’We are working assiduously with the National Assembly. They are supposed to have had a public hearing on that law but because of the fact that at the last ILC meeting, we agreed that the law should be recovered from the NASS, the tripod should do a review and then send it back to the National Assembly for enactment. So, progress has been made,” Wabba said.

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said the  understanding being exhibited by  workers on the minimum wage issue should not be taken for granted.

    In an interview with The Nation, he said: “There’s limit to the patience and understanding the workers can have on the issue of minimum wage,” warning that labour might be forced to react if the issue was not urgently addressed.

    He said: “It is good for workers to express their fears on the issue of minimum wage, but it’s also good for leaders to be up and doing. For us in Organised Labour, it is an issue that we think that is long overdue and we have gotten commitment from all levels, including the National Assembly that this sue is addressed once and for all.

    “You can even see that in the last one month, an action has been taken, the Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila proposed a bill to the effect that the issue of the review of minimum wage should be a provision of the law, because you are aware that in 2011, what we had was a tripartite agreement that after five years, the minimum wage will be reviewed.

    “But they have even gone one step further by saying that it should not only end up in the tripartite agreement, it should be a product of law. And I think that all of them in the National Assembly, whom we have interfaced with, are ready to do the needful, including if there is supplementary budget today, that they are ready to give it accelerated hearing.

    “Therefore, those fears are real, but we are working assiduously from our perspective to ensure that those issues are addressed.  It is an issue that you need to bring to the attention of the governors, employers, government and Organised Labour. And you know businesses are for profits and anything that will take a dime out of their profits, they are ready to do everything possible to delay it. We are mindful of that. It’s not the first time we are treading this path, you remember in 2010, it was also the same process.

    “But I think when the die is cast, all of us will then know that certainly, when the workers are pushed to the wall, there is a limit to patience and understanding. Certainly, a hungry person, however you explain to him, there is no basis how he will understand. So, we are looking at reality.”

    Wabba said it was clear that N18,000 in the context of the economic reality could not take anyone for a week.

    “ I assure you that we, on this side, will play our role very importantly so that we take into consideration some of the issues that our members have brought to our attention. But I think the important thing is that the process must start and we must see to the fact that this process must have a time-line where we can end it. We shouldn’t allow those workers to die first before the fruit of their labour will manifest,” he said.

    On child labour , Wabba said there is a tripartite committee working to review the law, adding that the Nigeria law is not consistent with the ILO convention on child labour.

    “There is the need to get that law reviewed because you can’t work outside the law, especially when it is a convention.

    “And, especially the age that is being referred to as a child, our old law back at home is not actually consistent with the ILO convention. But as I speak with you, I think we are through with that law.

    ‘’We are working assiduously with the National Assembly. They are supposed to have had a public hearing on that law but because of the fact that at the last ILC meeting, we agreed that the law should be recovered from the NASS, the tripod should do a review and then send it back to the National Assembly for enactment. So, progress has been made,” Wabba said.

     

  • Minimum wage: There’s limit to our patience, says Wabba

    Minimum wage: There’s limit to our patience, says Wabba

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said the  understanding being exhibited by  workers on the minimum wage issue should not be taken for granted.

    In an interview with The Nation, he said: “There’s limit to the patience and understanding the workers can have on the issue of minimum wage,” warning that labour might be forced to react if the issue was not urgently addressed.

    He said: “It is good for workers to express their fears on the issue of minimum wage, but it’s also good for leaders to be up and doing. For us in Organised Labour, it is an issue that we think that is long overdue and we have gotten commitment from all levels, including the National Assembly that this sue is addressed once and for all.

    “You can even see that in the last one month, an action has been taken, the Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila proposed a bill to the effect that the issue of the review of minimum wage should be a provision of the law, because you are aware that in 2011, what we had was a tripartite agreement that after five years, the minimum wage will be reviewed.

    “But they have even gone one step further by saying that it should not only end up in the tripartite agreement, it should be a product of law. And I think that all of them in the National Assembly, whom we have interfaced with, are ready to do the needful, including if there is supplementary budget today, that they are ready to give it accelerated hearing.

    “Therefore, those fears are real, but we are working assiduously from our perspective to ensure that those issues are addressed.  It is an issue that you need to bring to the attention of the governors, employers, government and Organised Labour. And you know businesses are for profits and anything that will take a dime out of their profits, they are ready to do everything possible to delay it. We are mindful of that. It’s not the first time we are treading this path, you remember in 2010, it was also the same process.

    “But I think when the die is cast, all of us will then know that certainly, when the workers are pushed to the wall, there is a limit to patience and understanding. Certainly, a hungry person, however you explain to him, there is no basis how he will understand. So, we are looking at reality.”

    Wabba said it was clear that N18,000 in the context of the economic reality could not take anyone for a week.

    “ I assure you that we, on this side, will play our role very importantly so that we take into consideration some of the issues that our members have brought to our attention. But I think the important thing is that the process must start and we must see to the fact that this process must have a time-line where we can end it. We shouldn’t allow those workers to die first before the fruit of their labour will manifest,” he said.

    On child labour , Wabba said there is a tripartite committee working to review the law, adding that the Nigeria law is not consistent with the ILO convention on child labour.

    “There is the need to get that law reviewed because you can’t work outside the law, especially when it is a convention.

    “And, especially the age that is being referred to as a child, our old law back at home is not actually consistent with the ILO convention. But as I speak with you, I think we are through with that law.

    ‘’We are working assiduously with the National Assembly. They are supposed to have had a public hearing on that law but because of the fact that at the last ILC meeting, we agreed that the law should be recovered from the NASS, the tripod should do a review and then send it back to the National Assembly for enactment. So, progress has been made,” Wabba said.

  • Wabba advises workers against hate speeches

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Comrade Ayuba Wabba has called on workers not to allow any body or group to use them to disintegrate the country.

    In an interview,  he said persistent hate speeches tend to threaten the foundation and integrity of the sovereignty and unity, saying this do not represent the true feelings of patriotic Nigerians for one another.

    Ayuba warned those threatening the unity of the country, saying that this would not do the nation any good.

    Rather, this, he said, symbolised 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.

    He said: “Labour is against this 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 must not allow them to use poor Nigerian workers, Pensioners and peasants as cannon fodders for their selfish interests. The desperate but vocal few cannot and should not be allowed to speak for the majority of us.

    “Dialogue remains the most tested and result-oriented form of conflict resolution mechanism and should be given full rein.”

    Ayuba said those fanning the embers of disunity should be discouraged.

    He appealed to Nigerians not to fall for conflict or war as a solution to the country’s crisis.

  • Wabba, Oshinowo elected into ILO Board

    Geneva, Switzerland

    Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Ayuba Wabba and Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) Director-General Segun Oshinowo were yesterday elected into the Governing Board of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

    The Nigerian government representative and Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige will, however, settle for the position of deputy as Nigeria could not secure a position as a regular member of the Governing Board.

    Governments have 56 representatives on the Governing Board of the ILO made up of 28 regular members and 28 deputies. Workers have 33 members – 14 regular and 19 deputies. Employers have 33 members each, made up of 14 regulars and 19 deputies.

    Chad, Cote D’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Mauritania and Senegal secured the regular membership of the board. Cameroon, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Swaziland and Uganda will be on the board as deputies.

    Members of the board were returned unopposed. But the according to the guideline for the election, a country must secure more than half of the votes cast by member nations with voting right.

    Ngige had assured Nigerians that the Federal Government had made enough consultation and did enough ground work with other West African nations to ensure its victory.

    The minister, however, left Geneva on Sunday morning for Washington before the election which took place yesterday.

    The elections of Wabba and Oshinowo to the Executive arm of the ILO came over a decade after Nigeria last occupied the positions.

    Wabba said he was dedicating his victory to the Nigerian workers and workers around the world, adding that it will give a voice to poor Nigerian workers, pensioners and Africans.

    The President said decent work, occupational safety and the condition of workers have not received more attention in comparison with the wealth that has been created.

    Governing Body members meet three times a year, in March, June and November to take decisions on ILO policy, decide the agenda of the International Labour Conference, adopt the draft Programme and Budget of the organisation for submission to the conference, and elect the director-general.

     

  • 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

  • How to get Nigeria out of recession – NLC

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said on Thursday urged the Federal Government to take urgent and bold decisions that will move the country out of the current economic recession.

    Such decisions, according to the NLC, include designing of people-oriented policies.

    Speaking at the 5th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of the National Union of Civil Engineering, Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers, president of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said no import dependent nation easily survive recession except when they take bold and conscious decisions.

    He said for the nation to get out of the current recession, the government must design policies that will bring back industries, create productive jobs, revive public electricity, revalue the naira, encourage the growth of  informal economy, resume local production of petroleum products and develop solid minerals and tourism, among other resources of global economic values.

    Wabba said “We do not need any lecturing from the IMF or any external institutions to do this. We have vibrant and experienced experts that can develop policies on these. Indeed, government should as a matter of urgency, convene a conference on the economy or assemble an all-inclusive team to develop an economic recovery framework that is people driven and people focused.”

    He added that the ongoing economic recession is not only a resultant effect of corruption, but the continued adoption of policies imposed by neo liberal institutions against the collective interests and wellbeing of the Nigerian people.

    The NLC chief added: “There can never be any external institution or country that will better develop policies that will serve the interests of our people and country than ourselves.

    “Happily, Nigeria is not in shortage of development experts that can fashion out profound, totally home grown development policies to move the country forward, if our leaders have the desired political will to call the bluff of over-bearing neo liberal institutions.

    “Our economy seems to have gone into a tailspin with the crash of the Naira and with the Central Bank appearing unable to offer a sustainable solution. The truth of the matter is that we are an import-dependent economy and no import dependent economy easily survives recession except they take bold and conscious decisions. I urge our leaders to take those decisions today so that history will absolve them of complicity.”

     

     

  • Wabba’s solution

    A drastic problem demands a drastic solution. Such reasoning must have triggered the shocker by the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, while addressing a crowd of protesters bitter about hard times brought about by the recession. The place of protest on February 9 was the Unity Fountain in Abuja.

    Wabba said: “We must not allow a situation where a few, because of their interest, will hold the system to ransom. We are demanding increase in electricity supply and they are saying add more tariff, we are demanding increase in minimum wage and they say they are going to be paying in percentage. We should not be tired.”

    What followed was more alarming than what came before it: “Why should somebody steal one billion naira and walk the streets free? We are demanding that they should be named and shamed. We are also demanding that one of their hands be cut off so that when we see them, we will know that they are people that have stolen our money.”

    Of course, Nigerians know it is not an invention that there are people who allegedly stole mountainous money from the public purse. Nigerians also know that such people, by their alleged stealing, contributed to the country’s economic crisis. It is imaginable and understandable that Nigerians would want such people to be “named and shamed.”

    But Wabba may have carried his passion for punishment for the alleged thieves too far by demanding that “one of their hands be cut off.” Demanding amputation takes things too far, even if the alleged thieves carried their stealing too far.

    Wabba’s status demands that he should be less emotional about the issue, and be more unemotional about it. The call for amputation suggests Wabba may have momentarily forgotten that Nigeria is supposed to be a secular country, and not a country where Islamic law, also known as Sharia, is in operation.  Cutting off the hands of thieves as punishment for stealing is associated with Sharia; it is a controversial penalty alien to the country’s justice system.

    To be fair, the scale of political corruption that prompted Wabba’s recommendation has been dangerously damaging to the country. There is no question that those who stole from the country so enthusiastically and so shockingly deserve to be punished; but they should be punished based on what the law says and not what Wabba says.

  • Ajaero to Wabba: you’re desperate, frustrated

    Ajaero to Wabba: you’re desperate, frustrated

    President of the United Labour Congress of Nigeria (ULC) Joe Ajaero has described NLC factional President Ayuba Wabba as an incompetent administrator.
    Ajaero told The Nation in his reaction to Wabba’s statement that the ULC was beyond him and Igwe Achese, as it clearly brought together men and women determined to create a platform that would offer Nigerians and workers a renewed hope in the portends of the labour movement.
    He said: “We have clearly gone beyond the issues of the well-acknowledged duplicitous delegates’ conference of 2015 and the subsequent reconciliation efforts scuttled by the desires of Ayuba to continue sitting on the collective desires of Nigerian workers and their unions to reform the movement and reposition it to serve Nigerian workers and the masses better.
    “His (Wabba) insistence and fixation on this shows a complete naivety of the traditions and workings of the trade union movement. Anyway, this is a demonstration of utter desperation and the frustration of a drowning man who has refused to understand that you do not trifle with workers’ interests and hope to bind them to yourself by the use of force. The laws of the land are very clear on where the powers of each union resides. It is the Unions that affiliates with the centres and not individual workers. The unions have taken their decision to leave and that is how it stands.
    “It is important that we remind you that there is a natural law guaranteed in our constitution and various statutes which allows us that freedom of choice to decide who we can or cannot associate with.
    “This natural law is fundamental and transcends our laws and statutes but fortunately in this case has been given vent by our various statutes.
    “It is this same guarantee that protects all of us especially workers from rabid slavery in the hands of desperate despots bent on holding them captive forever.
    “This is what allows individuals to freely choose and that is why a man or woman who is a Catholic or Anglican today would choose to become a Pentecostal tomorrow and nobody can do anything about it.
    “It is also what allows politicians to move from one party to another as you must have observed in the case of the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) and APC (All Progressives Congress).
    “When one construct becomes obsolete and no longer in a position to deliver on its promises to its publics, individuals leave. That is what has happened in this case, Nigerian workers have freely chosen to move on so that you can preserve your NLC. Remember that it was part of your pleadings in the Court.”
    Explaining the mission of the new labour body, Ajaero said: “You may not understand the centrality of this statement as it defines our emergence and our determination. We are not wholly interested in the characters and personalities involved but in ensuring that we create a platform that is continually able to protect the interest and desires of Nigerian workers and peoples.
    “It is paradoxical though that a man who has done everything to undermine unity within the movement debasing our various traditions and truncated democratic organs in his union for purely selfish reasons would begin to preach democracy.
    “Any man that extended his tenure in total perversion of his Union’s constitution cannot be trusted with anything talk less of democracy and that explains the conundrum which your usurpation of the Labour House has created within the movement.
    “We advise Ayuba, instead of embarking on a futile mission outside of his capacities and capabilities, to rather concentrate on dousing the fires within his NLC which is what we think should bother him more.
    “When our attention was drawn to this, we had truly thought that he was focusing on solving the internal schisms which his style of leadership has created for those who still share the same umbrella with him. This is our comradely advice”.

  • Wabba warns against diverting NHIS fund

    Wabba warns against diverting NHIS fund

    Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Comrade Ayuba Wabba has warned against diverting the Nigeria National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) funds to build  health centres.

    He said this when NHIS Executive Secretary Prof Usman Yusuf visited the Labour House in Abuja.

    According to Wabba, the Congress had written several times against using the fund to build primary health care centres.

    He said: “We are still on our position that those funds should be used strictly as applied in line with the provision of the mandate of the law establishing the National Health Insurance Scheme.’’

    He argued that any attempt to divert the fund would be wrong, as the cash came from the earnings of workers to provide health service for members.

  • Wabba: strip governors of immunity

    Wabba: strip governors of immunity

    Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Comrade Ayuba Wabba has said governors should be stripped of immunity because nobody is above the law.

    Speaking with The Nation, Wabba said all citizens are equal before the law, adding that the fact that governors are privileged to provide leadership did not mean they are above the law.

    He pointed out that the issue of immunity was absurd. “Criminal proceedings should, therefore, not be allowed to be deterred by immunity. For civil cases, it may be allowed. This is to strengthen our democracy.

    “If you look at most of the cases that have festered in courts for years, you will see that the immunity granted these public officials contributed a great deal to delaying them.

    “On the fight against corruption, every Nigerian must subject himself to the rule of law and while in office, criminal proceedings should be allowed to be initiated, irrespective of the person involved,” Wabba said.

    He said labour had submitted a formal letter to all the tiers of government, especially the executive, to address these issues.

    According to him, if immunity is removed, having specialised courts for the quick dispensation of justice would advance administration of justice.

    His words: “We will not relent in lending our voice through advocacy, and at the end of the day we should be able to have a result.

    “We call on Nigerians and the media to join us to advance these issues together because those that are enjoying the immunity are not likely to make a move. They are benefiting from the system and so they won’t be happy if for the immunity removal.

    “There is going to be a memorandum, because we will provide an opportunity for organisations and individuals to submit memorandum and be part of the process. Law is about the people and we are the people”.

    On minimum wage, he said discussions had been on for a long time; what is left is for the government to announce the composition of the constituted committee earlier set up and inaugurate it.